


Of Prophecies and Princesses

by NMartin



Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Coven
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/F, foxxay - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-21 05:56:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 26,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3680496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NMartin/pseuds/NMartin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fantasy AU. Cordelia of Orleans was engaged to the firstborn of the southern royal family since she was nine years old. Not she or her mother, the wicked queen of the Orleans kingdom, were aware that the firstborn was a not a prince, but a princess. Eighteen years later, Misty of the Southern Swamplands travels to the north to meet and marry the princess she has heard so much about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The sun slowly rose behind the mountains. The bright rays of light washed over the forest and made the gentle ripples of the lake shine gloriously, the water being just a stream of glitter. The castle was reflected on the lake's crystalline water, it’s high towers made with dark stone seeming so little on the reflection despite the fortress being so grand. The porcelain face of the princess reflected in the mirror of her room as she had her maids being prepared for the reception of the visiting royal family. From that moment, it would be just a few hours until she met her betrothed.

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

Princess Cordelia of Orleans was barely seven years old when she had been betrothed to the firstborn of another royal family that lived past the southern swamps. Her father and leader of the kingdom had died in war months before she was born, and her mother and tormentor, Queen Fiona, had been forced to arrange a marriage in order to avoid a war that she was sure that they wouldn’t be able to win. Despite the dark magic that ran through the woman’s veins, after her husband’s death she was not able to do more than enchant her mirror to observe the different rooms of the castle as she lay on her bed, the blonde little girl that begged for a mother left forgotten in the halls of the castle under the vigilance of her maid, who told her to go to her chamber.

“Myrtle, do you think that that prince I am going to marry will be sensitive?” the seven-year-old questioned the maid as she got dressed for the celebration of her eighth birthday, dreamy eyes full of joy as she wondered how he would be. “I’m sure he is clever, well-mannered, considerate and charming. As kind as he is handsome, and as wise as he is rich…” she sighed happily.

“I’m sure he will be everything you've ever wanted, dear princess.” the red-haired woman told, a warm smile on her face as she pulled on the green embroidered gown and then made the girl sit on an old wooden chair, combing her hair back before braiding it and pulling it into an updo.

”I’m sure he will.” Cordelia agreed, letting out a giggle.

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

** EIGHTEEN YEARS BEFORE **

“Mother, mother!” the eighteen year old princess called with a southern accent as she made her light brown horse trot next to her mother’s stallion, then grinning at her. “Do you think she will be beautiful?” Misty asked with curiosity, looking to her mother with a questioning look. They galloped behind the king and his men, well protected from any bandits that could be waiting on their way to Orleans. Their horses’ manes shone under the light of the afternoon sun, the young princess feeling the rush of wind in her hair, strong galloping hoofs beneath her, hands clutching onto the leather rein.

They’d brought about fifty men with them. Their flags were dark brown, fluttering against the wind, all of them wearing their house colour. The flags carried the emblem of the royal family, a golden stag painted in contrast onto the brown. Despite their apparent humility, their kingdom was rich and grandiose, their army the biggest one any man could imagine. That fact hasn't changed in many years, and her father was proud to say he was one of the most powerful men in the world. And Misty was his little princess, despite not being as delicate as a princess should be. The girl loved to ride horses and shoot her bow, curly blonde hair cascading down her shoulders and her blue eyes shining like the ocean water on a summer day.

“I’m sure she is an exquisite maiden, Misty.” the queen told her daughter, not looking at her and maintaining her forward gaze with her head held high but a wide smile on her face. They had been travelling for three days, and Misty was becoming more and more excited by the idea of finally meeting the girl, now woman, that she had heard so much about. Cordelia of Orleans was known as the Princess of Light, as everyone seemed to call her in the nearby kingdoms, and had been living under her mother’s strict rules for years and years. Of course, Misty had never actually seen her. Her people had the tradition of not meeting their betrothed until days prior to the wedding, sometimes just hours, except for the moment when the marriage was arranged. Problem was, Misty had not been born when that had happened. She had been born strictly to marry Cordelia and become the next queen of Orleans, and unite the kingdom with the Southern Swamplands.

Finally the royal family sighted the magnificent castle, passing next to a small village with peasants that looked at them with curious eyes before kneeling in front of them. They galloped across the bridge and stopped just in front of the castle’s doors, waiting for them to start opening slowly.

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

Cordelia stood now in her chamber, in front of the mirror, waiting for the old maid to fasten her corset as she looked at her reflection. Her dreamy eyes were now full of dread, not wanting time to pass. They would arrive there within hours, she had heard the peasants talk about the subject in one of her trips to the forest in search of ingredients for her beverages. She sneaked out of the castle once a month in search for herbs that could only be found in secret spots between the trees, what made the ingredients both valuable and scarce.

“I don’t want him to come, Myrtle. I don’t want to get married to someone I don’t love. He might be clever, well-mannered, considerate and charming, but I don’t _know_ him.” she sighed, feeling tears pool in her eyes. She wanted to escape the castle, to get on her horse and ride far away from that arranged marriage.

“I’m sure he will be everything you've ever wanted, dear princess.” the old red-haired woman told, a sad smile on her face as she fastened the corset and then put on the dark green embroidered gown over her small, delicate body. Cordelia walked over to the wooden chair and sat there, combing her hair back before braiding it and pulling it into an updo as once before, just as Myrtle took a pair of golden shoes to slip onto her feet.

”I hope you are right.” Cordelia agreed, looking to her reflection in the mirror once again, running her fingertips over the golden details of her dress before putting her tiara on and walking out of the room. She sat on her throne, next to her mother’s, looking to the closed doors before her and making a silent plea that she knew wouldn't be answered as the guards brought in the new arrivals.

The announcer at the top of the hall pulled open one door as a second man pulled open the other, saying, "Presenting, their majesties, King Magnus and Queen Innocence of the Southern Swamplands." Trumpets blared and drums rolled, then there was an exaggerated pause following the announcement of the king and queen as the two took their first steps into the throne room, wearing brown and golden garments and followed closely by a young maiden. The announcer spoke once more.

"And their majesties' daughter, Princess Misty of the Southern Swamplands.”


	2. Chapter 2

_Princess Misty of the Southern Swamplands?_ Cordelia stared at the young princess with wide eyes, puzzled at the sight. The princess had a tall and thin body, and looked at her with wide eyes and her rose pink lips slightly parted. Her eyes were of a wonderful shade of sapphire blue and her skin was slightly tanned by the sun. She wore a brown gown that seemed to be specifically sewn to be comfortable to ride a horse, and riding boots under it. She looked like a perfect mix of her parents, having inherited her father’s blue eyes and her mother’s curly hair and slight curves. It was obvious that the royals didn’t care about looking superior to them, since their garments were noble but humble at the same time. And Cordelia found herself overwhelmed by the situation.

She had spent eighteen years expecting a prince, and now this _girl_ appeared. She expected a young, immature and spoiled knight to cross that door, with his head high and an haughty look on his face. She expected someone that she would hate all her life. She had never expected a humble, alluring princess that was looking at her as if she was a masterpiece hanging from a wall. She looked at her mother, who sat on her throne silent while studying the visitors’ faces, and decided to be the one who welcomed them. As soon as she stood up, the king approached her.

"Your highness," he bowed before her and kissed her hand, receiving a smile from the young princess. “Your beauty has only grown in the past eighteen years.”

"And you are just as charming, your grace." Cordelia smiled widely, then looked at the queen and princess as they approached her. “Queen Innocence, it is a pleasure for me to meet you again. Princess Misty, I am grateful to finally meet you.”

“Uh, hello.” the other told awkwardly, staring at the princess with wide eyes. “I mean, your highness.” she bowed in front of Cordelia and smiled shyly, receiving another smile. “I—” Her words were cut by queen Fiona’s loud, angered voice.

“You liar.” she told, making her daughter jump in surprise and walk to the side. She had always been scared of the woman and her cruel, narrow-minded personality, and her abusive comments towards her had only made her more fragile through the years. “I was promised a honorable prince, not an idiotic annoying prin—”

“I must remind you, your highness, that we made a deal to save your kingdom from the devastation that my army could cause, and for you to be a queen until you die.” His deep voice sounded severe as he spoke, looking at the queen with a defiant expression. “Also, I never promised you a prince, I promised you a firstborn.”

The woman stood there and looked at the king with hateful eyes, not knowing what to say. “It’s unnatural.” she finally spoke after a few seconds, eyes shifting through the visitors and to her daughter. She was obviously not going to give her daughter’s hand to a girl, it was unjust in her eyes. Cordelia swallowed hard and took a step forward.

“Mother, pleas—” She couldn’t finish her sentence when her mother raised a hand and made her fly through the spacious room and hit a wall with a tapestry hanging on it.

“Cordelia!” Misty called, quickly running towards the princess and kneeling next to her. “Are you hurt?” she asked, suddenly realizing that she had accidentally dropped all the formalities. “Uh... your highness?” she added right after. The princess shook her head and Misty placed a hand on her shoulder delicately, then offered the other to help her stand. Cordelia took it, breathing in deeply at the skin to skin contact with her betrothed and then stood up, straightening her gown.

“Thank you, your grace.” she told, giving Misty a nod and then looking at her mother. “If you’ll excuse me, I wish to go to my chamber now, Mother. It’s been a pleasure meeting you, princess Misty.” she looked down and bowed slightly, then walked out of the room.

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

Misty had excused herself from yet another dance from another noble to get a drink, wanting to escape the tortuous dances she had been forced to partake in. It had been her father’s idea to have her bond with the nobles while dancing to improve her position as the future queen. Of course, she hated these formal balls, where she couldn’t escape the exhausting dances. Wearing a stone colored dress was okay, although the corset and the heels were something she could definitely do without. Her parents had held many balls in her kingdom for her birthdays, but all Misty wanted was to be alone, preferably with her horse and her bow, away from all of her royal duties. Great disappointment had crashed over the young princess when her mother had denied her her wish and instead insisted on having a ball for each birthday that passed.

But tonight it was different. She wanted more than anything to stay inside the ballroom, enduring everything and putting on forced smiles. She had managed to resist the urge to strangle a few rude, arrogant or narcissistic nobles who talked about themselves and other inappropriate things as they danced away. After all the dancing and greetings from people she barely knew, the girl finally excused herself for a drink. Misty’s throat burned at the touch of wine, the delicious drink that gave her the confidence to go through the night. Still, she didn’t want to get drunk, she had yet to dance with the most important person in the entire room. Misty turned around and observed her.

Cordelia was dancing with one of her mother’s knights, smiling widely as they waltzed around the room. He was tall and wore some of his best garments with the emblem of the Orleans house, his green and golden clothing contrasting perfectly with the princess’ crimson red dress. She wore her tiara atop her braided hair the same way she had worn it that morning. She looked exactly the same, except for the dress and a faint bruise on her temple. The knight and she finished the song and then bowed to each other, him kissing her gloved hand with a wide smile on his face. Misty approached them before she too bowed. “Princess Cordelia?” she asked with a soft voice, blushing slightly when the other turned and looked at her. “May I have this dance?”

The princess smiled warmly and nodded, still startled about the idea of being engaged to the other girl. “Of course.” she turned and smiled at the knight. “Thank you for this wonderful dance, sir Foxx.” the man bowed at both of them and walked away, then Cordelia turned to look at Misty once again. “Do you know how to waltz, your highness?” Cordelia questioned, moving closer and taking her hand to delicately pull her close, placing the other gloved hand on her shoulder seam and then smiling shyly. Misty nodded and put her hand to cup her partner’s shoulder blade, then held Cordelia’s right hand at shoulder height, standing up straighter than she ever had. “How are the southern lands, if I may ask? I’ve never visited them.” Cordelia stated as they slowly began to dance under the watchful eyes of the nobles and knights that surrounded them. All the assistants to this ball were from their two kingdoms, and all of the other guests arrived the night before the wedding. Fiona had made sure that the wedding was the most grandiose event a person could attend, having planned everything herself, down to the littlest detail.

“It is full of lakes and swamps, and despite what most people think the water is actually really, really clean.” Misty grinned nervously, leading the dance. She wasn’t much of a dancer actually, and was scared of stepping on the other princess’ foot every two minutes. “My castle is in the middle of a lake. It’s smaller than this one, but it’s made of brighter stones. This one’s so… dark.”

“It’s a charm my mother put on it after my father’s death. Myrtle, my maid, says that it is made of white stone and marble, but that my mother enchanted it to look like a black castle.” Cordelia explained, eyes focused on the other girl’s blue ones. “It’s a shame. I’ve seen paintings, the castle was so beautiful. I wish I could have actually seen it.”

“What? You’ve always lived here, how is it that you haven’t seen the real castle?” she asked, looking at Cordelia and accidentally stepping onto her foot. The other princess’ face turned into a grimace and Misty pulled back slightly, being stopped by Cordelia’s hand. “I’m so sorry.” the tall blonde whispered, looking down to the other with worry. They kept dancing, eyes focused on the other’s as they exchanged shy smiles and soft, nervous giggles— and then Misty stepped on the shorter princess’ foot again. “Oh my, princess Cordelia, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to, I am such a—”

“It’s okay, your highness.” the older interrupted, smiling warmly before she changed their hand positions so that she was the one who led the dance. It was strange to be the lead, since she had only danced with knights all her life and not with other maidens. “I am used to being stepped on.” she kept her head high, knowing that as they danced around the room her mother was observing them with attention, trying to find a way to escape the arrangement she had agreed to eighteen years before. Cordelia never had any doubts that Fiona didn’t care about who her daughter married, in fact she had never felt any attachment to the princess. The queen had kept her daughter locked inside of the castle’s immense grounds all her life, not letting her ever leave her toxic protection, and humiliated and insulted her so many times that the young woman had lost count. “Anyway,” she told, shaking those thoughts off her mind and then smiling again to the other princess. “My mother enchanted the castle months before I was born, right after my father died.”

“So, and I beg you excuse my coarseness in this question, the queen is... a witch?” the wild-haired blonde asked, turning to look at the queen for a second. It was then when the queen looked at her with a cold gaze, as if she had heard her. Her eyes were just like Cordelia’s, but still they had that darker shade that made Misty shiver. She was scared of the woman, scared that she would do everything she could to not let Misty spend any more time with her future wife. Because yes, she had never seen the other princess before, but something inside of her told her that she was already falling in love with her, to the point that she was convinced that she could make the princess happy if she was given the chance. Cordelia’s eyes widened at the question and Misty’s sudden expression, knowing that the queen was looking at them.

“Come with me.” she whispered after they spinned once more and the song ended, the knights and guests of the ball clapping at them at first, then looking at them with surprise as they made their way out of the room to the balcony. Cordelia closed the door after them and made sure that all the attention of the guests was again on the dance and not on the two princesses who had practically fled out of the ballroom, then walked over to stare at the immense lake that shone under the moonlight. Misty followed suit, standing next to her and drumming her fingers against the stone railing, waiting for Cordelia’s words to break the silence as she looked at the shorter blonde. She was so beautiful under the moonlight, and yet seemed so fragile. “My mother,” the young woman started, looking at the lake absently as she took off her gloves. “Is a powerful and dark enchantress. All the women of my family have always had magic running through their veins.” Cordelia sighed and looked at the younger girl, taking her hand and caressing her knuckles with her thumb. “Listen to me. I am older than you, and wiser. You shall not talk to Fiona unless it is truly necessary, and when you do you must not look her in the eyes. Because, just with looking into your eyes, she could just as easily read your mind. She is not to be trusted.” Cordelia raised the girl’s hand and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of it, now looking up at Misty with sadness. “Please remember that, my princess.” she added before walking back to the ballroom.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Cordelia woke up right after the sun had rose, rolling over on her large, elaborate bed and letting out a small sigh before going to brush her hair. Her feet hurt from dancing with the foreign knights, but her mind still drifted to the dance she had shared with Misty, to the skin to skin contact that their hands and fingers had made, and to the soft kiss she had placed on top of the slightly tanned princess’ hand. Thinking of it all made her feel butterflies in her stomach, despite it only being a chivalrous gesture between the betrothed princesses.

It was strange. Although there was no rule against two princesses marrying, Cordelia was sure that they would be the first ones to do so. _A princess marrying a princess. What kind of lunacy is this?_ she thought, standing up from the bed and looking through the window, gasping at the sight. Wearing a dress, a young maiden with wild golden hair rode on a cream colored stallion across the gardens of the castle, her hair shining brightly under the warm sunlight. She had felt attracted to the girl from the moment she had seen her enter the throne room. It was strange, she had never felt so attracted to anyone so quickly, not even with Hank. She and he had been sharing some kisses since a few months prior to now, all of it having started with a victory kiss when the knight had won a sword fighting tournament, and then there were some stolen kisses in the corridors of the castle. But still, there was no love involved there, and Cordelia knew that. They were each other’s pastime, a silly entertainment while they waited for Cordelia to get married. And maybe after— or at least that’s what Cordelia had thought until the moment she had met the other princess. She liked the girl, she was someone that she felt she could talk to, from the moment she had gone to check if she was okay. _And she is so beautiful. Nice, kind, smart… she will be a perfect queen someday. Hopefully she’ll let me love her, and she love me._ She knew it was crazy, but maybe— _maybe_ —she could have started to fall in love with her. _Maybe the stories Myrtle told me when I was little are true. Maybe love at first sight actually exists._ “Myrtle!” Cordelia grinned broadly as she ran her hands through her hair and began to braid it again, running out of her chamber and down the corridor of the castle. “Prepare Artemisa’s saddle and my riding garments.”

_Maybe I can convince her to go riding with me._

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

Misty had always thought that riding her stallion was an amazing experience. The wind, the freedom, the gentle rocking of the horse under her as they rode through the castle’s gardens. Everything made her feel powerful. Lutus and she had grown up together, the animal having been given to her when she was just four years old, and they had grown up together. They shared a connection, and felt each other’s power as if she could read the stallion’s mind and as if they had shared one heart. The sense of euphoria when they travelled at high speed, taking jumps, the green hills passing by. It was like a dream, holding onto the scrawly but beautiful flowing mane with Lutus’ tail whipping behind.

It was then when she noticed another horse approaching close, catching her attention as she saw a glimpse of full lips twisted into a smile. She turned her face and slowed her horse, then grinned. “Your highness, what a pleasant surprise to see you here!” she exclaimed, looking at her with happiness in her eyes. She already loved spending time with the older girl, wanting to know if she was as amazing as her mother had told her she was. “Are you going somewhere, princess Cordelia?”

“I wanted to have a meal before the sword fighting tournament.” she told, patting the saddlebag on the side of the horse and smiling slightly. She had prepared food for two, although Misty didn’t need to know that. “Would you like to accompany me, your highness?” she questioned, making her horse start walking again and not giving her time to answer. The younger princess followed suit, watching how gracefully Cordelia rode on her horse. While the southern girl had been taught to ride athletically, like her father’s second in command taught his knights, the older princess sat aside in a modest fashion, holding onto the reins strongly but graciously at the same time. “When did you learn to ride, princess?” Cordelia had spoken up, breaking Misty from her reverie.

“When I was six, your highness. My father’s second in command, Sir Achard, was told to teach me the same way that his knights are taught so I became a good queen and I could go to battle when I was older. It’s a tradition that girls in the south are raised like knights, just like boys are, although at the same time they are taught manners by their mothers. Do you know how to ride astride?” Misty asked.

“Yes I do. But queen Fiona does not let me ride astride on the castle’s grounds, since she wants me to get accustomed to sit aside.” the other told, guiding her horse towards the bordering forest that surrounded most of the lake. They remained silent for some moments, entering the highly roofed forest through a small path and following a slow, peaceful rhythm until they reached the shore. “I must ask you to wait one moment, princess. I want to ride astride while we talk, it’s more convenient.” with that she pulled from Artemisa’s reins and dismounted, straightening her dress before mounting the white horse again. She looked at Misty and grinned at her. “Last one to get to the other side of the lake has to give the victory kiss to the knights!” she said happily before giving the stallion a tap with her heels, prompting it to start sprinting. The other princess looked at her, startled, before doing the same, laughing loudly.

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

“I must admit, your highness, your riding skills are excellent.” Cordelia told with a smile as she dismounted from her horse and straightened out her dress once again, then got hay to feed both horses that now stood in the sand of the small bay with their heads down. “What’s your stallion’s name, Misty?” she questioned, walking to the light brown stallion and caressing his muzzle.

“Lutus.” the girl smiled, caressing his mane as they talked. “It means mud in latin… I know it’s not quite a graceful name, but it fits him… After learning how to walk he ran into a swamp full of mud, then ran into the barn covered in it, staining everything that was in there.” she explained, making Cordelia laugh, covering her mouth with her hand and looking at her with an amused gaze. _Oh god, that is charming,_ she thought.

“Lutus.” the princess repeated, grinning. “I like it.” Cordelia moved to open the saddlebag, taking their food and then the girl’s hand to guide her to the shore and sitting there. She looked at the calm water, smiling at the sight of the dark castle that rose over it. It was calm. It was quiet. It was perfect, or at least Cordelia thought so. “I used to come here when I was a little girl. I would escape the castle in the morning, through a passage next to the dungeons that ends near here, and I would spend my day collecting plants and going for a swim in the lake.” she sighed, closing her eyes and inhaling the fresh air before an idea occurred to her. “Would you like to swim with me, your— Can I call you Misty?”

“Yes, that would be marvelous… Can I call you Cordelia, then?”

“Of course. If I get to call you Misty, you should call me by my name too. We are becoming... _friends,_ after all. Now, lets go for a swim.” the princess smiled kindly and stood up, removing the comfortable dress, moving the braid that hung on her back and looking at Misty over her shoulder. “Uh, could you… untie my corset?” she asked with an intense blush on her cheeks. The younger princess nodded, standing to untie the corset, taking in the sight of Cordelia’s skin as it slowly started to expose itself as she helped her remove her dress. It dropped to the floor with no more than the faint sound of the fabric falling onto the sand. It was the first time that Cordelia had undressed in front of someone else that wasn’t one of her maids. “You can turn around, if you feel uncomfortable.” the princess whispered as she started to remove her undergarments.

Misty stayed silent, heart thumping loudly within her chest as she stared at the other revealing her shoulders and back. The young princess’ eyes travelled the length of her spine and lower. _Women strip and bathe in front of other women, it’s not uncommon._ the girl had told herself as she began to do the same, untying the front lace of her own corset and dropping it to the floor as she watched Cordelia pick up her dress and undergarments and leave them on a rock, then wading into the water gracefully. No one knew that spot of the shore, where trees and shrubs hid them from anyone who would try to look from any other spot of the lake. Cordelia was sure of that, the same way she was sure that Misty had not blinked until she was inside the water, not wanting to miss the breathtaking sight. The other sat down on a rock and watched, still in her undergarments. Mouth dry and cheeks flushed as she studied her body. Slight curves moved in water, and the young princess could imagine how the front of the older princess' torso would look like. Toned stomach, firm protruding breasts, pink, rock hard nipples. Cordelia turned around, and Misty inhaled a sharp breath. Her betrothed beauty was more than she had expected. _Her wet skin, if only I could run my hands down her arms, trail down her spine, kiss my way down her chest and to her stomach… No, I must not think this way. She is my future wife. I must wait._

Her mother had talked to her about the night after the wedding, of what was supposed to happen between the two princesses hours after the feast. Her mother had told her about the fact that children were meant to be conceived the night a king married his queen, and that since they were two women no child would be conceived. She had questioned how two women could consummate their marriage, and her mother had kindly explained. Still, the thought of experiencing what she had been told to do made her shiver. _It will be with Cordelia. I will be fine._

“Are you coming to swim with me, Misty?” Cordelia asked, insecure of if the girl meant to be her future wife should want her. She stared at Misty’s body, taking in every single inch of her skin, noticing a long, thin scar on her shoulder and a smaller one on her chest, over her heart. “You look beautiful, my princess.” she told softly, giving her a nod and then looking away before swimming deeper inside of the lake before the other could answer. Misty couldn’t help but let a soft giggle before running to the lake and jumping into the water, her body diving through the ripples and emerging a few seconds after. Her wild blonde curls matted on her shoulders as she let out a loud laugh.

“It’s so warm!” she told with amazement as she swam up next to Cordelia and splashed water onto her before swimming away in the crystal water. She could see the other princess swimming behind her, her fingertips caressing her feet some times before she finally passed her and then swam in front of her, floating and then splashing water onto her face in return. They spent an hour or so like that, giggling and laughing as they floated along together. They finally decided to come out and sit on a flat rock, laying down on it’s surface and waiting for the sun to dry their bodies. “I love swimming.” Misty stated with a smile, looking up at the clouds as she ran her fingers in circles above her navel. “You can feel the rush of energy and control, just like when you ride a horse, but when you simply lay and float in the water it gives you the calm your body just needs after that. Horse riding is still my favorite, though… Because that is just giving in to what your body is urging you to do, following your instincts without much thought. And when you and your horse sprint and jump, the power surges through your body and pours out of you, and it overwhelms you.”

“Sounds a lot like making love…”

“I beg you pardon?” Misty looked over at the young woman with curiously innocent eyes. It was true that she was older, and that she was appealing to just about anyone, but the southern girl had never given a thought to the fact that Cordelia might not be pure anymore by the time they got married. “Have you… experienced that, your highness?” she asked in the softest voice she could muster, possibly the softest voice that Cordelia had ever heard. She looked like a scared child in that moment, looking over at her sheepishly.

“Oh, no.” Cordelia shook her head and looked away, then turned to lay on her side and stare back at Misty. “I am still pure, I would never… Not with a man… Not until the wedding. But I have been told about it by my maid, Myrtle. She says that making love is one of the most beautiful experiences a woman can go through if they have the right lover.” she smiled and couldn’t help but move her hand to caress the girl’s soft cheek. _So breathtaking. I wish I could show her how attracted I am to her. Maybe…_ “ I know this is not appropriate, Misty, but… Well, I think that you radiate such breathtaking beauty, my princess.” Cordelia started, voice lower than she had originally expected it to be. But Cordelia was overwhelmed by the girl’s beauty, by the attraction she felt towards her. “Everything about you is desirable, and I hope I am a good lover to you. If I can, I will do my best to pleasure you in my every waking hour. I will satisfy you, make you moan. I already live aching to hear you moan my name, princess Misty.” she was blushing deeply, but spoke confidently as she leaned closer, their breaths starting to melt together as Cordelia talked. “I cannot wait to touch you, to let my fingers run down your curves and kiss your lips over and over, and to give myself to you… I want to taste the sweet taste on your skin, and the salty taste of your sweat in the night. I want to touch your breasts, let my mouth reach them, to taste your skin on my lips. There’s not a single inch that I do not wish to touch or kiss. Your lips, your jaw, your neck. Your collarbones and cleavage, your waist. Your hips. The soft flesh between your legs, so I can make pleasure overwhelm your entire body with no more than my lips, my fingers and my tongue. I want to hear you gasp and moan when I penetrate you, gently at first but more passionately as the hours pass, like I’ve been told to do. I will be forever yours, I promise it.” Cordelia had stated, intention deeply rooted into each word. Misty’s mouth was dry, an angry heat aching between her legs. All she wanted to do was to lean forward and let their lips touch, to feel her scorching lips against her skin and let them burn as they shared touches everywhere. She licked her own lips and leaned forward, mouth parted and eyes closing as she reached to brush the other’s.

“Your highness?” they heard someone call from behind the trees. They quickly pulled away, both of them breathing heavily as they did so. “Your highness, the queen is looking for you.” the voice approached the place as they hurriedly put on their undergarments, eyes focused on the bushes and the trees around them. “Your highness are you here?”

“One second, Sir Foxx! We are not decent!” Cordelia told, pulling her dress over her undergarments and then looking at Misty as she finished getting dressed too. She took their horses reins and walked towards the man that now stood next to the trees, looking between them with confusion laced into his expression, studying the situation. His jaw clenched as he realized just what exactly they could have been doing, naked and hidden behind the trees. The older princess could see the jealousy that swirled in his dark brown eyes as she and he both realized that they had never shared anything like that together, nothing like the moment the two blondes had shared. They had never done anything more than sharing kisses is the hidden corners of the castle, Hank groping her and wanting more and Cordelia stopping each time. She would never say it out loud, but she had always known that they were just having an affair that would soon end. She looked to Misty, who was attempting to tie her corset on, before taking a step towards the knight. “Why do you interrupt our swim, Sir Foxx?”

“The queen requests your assistance at the tournament, your highness.” he told in a bitter tone, glaring at Cordelia. “Yours too,” he informed hatefully, looking to the other girl, Misty’s eyes wide at the man’s tone. “Your highness.” he added at last before turning around and walking towards his stallion, mounting it, and then riding away. Cordelia took Misty’s hand and walked with her to their horses, caressing Misty’s knuckles reassuringly before letting her go so that they could mount their horses and ride back.


	4. Chapter 4

That evening, after eating with the other royals, Misty arrived to her chamber and closed the door with a loud thud. She was angry, the fact that Hank had decided to interrupt them just in the moment that she had gone to kiss the older princess. Her need was flaming, needing to feel the other girl kissing her and doing all the things she had told her she would do. The princess threw herself back onto her bed, cheeks flushed and legs pressed firmly together. She wanted to have Cordelia touching her, their bodies pressing against each other’s. She sighed, hands going to cover her face and feel the heat of her cheeks. Her body was on fire, the thought of her future wife touching her, saying her name and making her moan made her heart leap. She felt the desire deep inside, flowing somewhere deep between her legs.

**_“I will satisfy you, and make you moan. I already live aching to hear you moan my name, princess Misty.”_ **

She was experiencing more lust than she was sure she had ever felt, and for a second the only thing that mattered to her was the need she had for Cordelia’s touch. She slowly undid her corset lace, taking it off once again and then leaving it forgotten on one side of the comfortably, large bed. She wished that Cordelia was there, to have her, hands moving all over her body. Her own hands started moving down from her face to her neck, fingertips caressing the soft skin softly and moving lower to her collarbone. She closed her eyes, imagining that they were Cordelia’s fingers instead of hers. The older princess was on top of her, bare body pressed up against hers as the older princess pulled her out of her undergarments slowly, both of their hearts beating fast and breath heaving as her undergarments were removed and forgotten on top of her discarded dress.

**_“I want to touch your breasts and let my mouth reach them, to taste your skin on my lips.”_ **

Her own hands moved lower, cold fingertips brushing her hardened nipple for a second before moving to run over the shape of her breast and the valley in between them before repeating the actions on the other side. She let out a ragged sigh, thumb circling her nipple as she kept imagining the way Cordelia would do these things to her. The woman she was fantasizing about was now putting her mouth around the sensitive bud, swirling her tongue over it. Misty followed the trail of non-existent kisses with her thumb, letting out a soft moan and biting her lip for a second. “Cordelia...” she muttered under her breath, moving her face to the side, hot cheek against the pillow.

**_“The soft flesh between your legs. To make pleasure overwhelm your entire body with just  my lips, my fingers, and my tongue.”_ **

One hand kept toying with her nipples, pinching and pulling them slightly, while the other wandered lower on her body, caressing her navel and her hip before sneaking between her legs and cupping her sex. She was dripping, her arousal running between her thighs slowly and staining the silk of the sheets. She needed Cordelia so much, lust burning inside of her. Cordelia’s voice echoed in her head, and it wasn’t hard for the younger princess to imagine the other touching her. Her fingers had moved to her sensitive bundle of nerves, slowly starting to make circles around it, making herself let out a gradual moan. In her head, the image was very different. Cordelia was lying on top of her, kissing her as she moved her slender digits down to her clit, whispering her name and letting out soft pants as their chest brushed against each other’s. “Cordelia…” Misty moaned slightly louder, needing more.

**_“I want to hear you gasp and moan when I penetrate you, gently at first but more passionately as the hours pass.”_ **

In her mind’s eye, Cordelia’s fingers pushed between her folds and through her wetness, slowly introducing one of them. Misty moaned loudly, curling her finger inside of herself and brushing up against her own walls before she opened her eyes for a split second. Still, she quickly went fell back into her fantasies. The older princess’ finger was working faster now, her thumb pressed against Misty’s clit as she added a second finger slowly, Cordelia’s breaths falling on her neck and a delicate, graceful hand kneading one of her breasts and squeezing it softly as she increased the rhythm of her fingers. “Cordelia…” she moaned again into the silence of her chamber, the image of the princess fastening the movement of her fingers inside of Misty was driving her on. “Cordelia... _‘_ Delia, _‘Deliaa…._ ” her moans were louder the closer she got to her climax, wrist starting to ache because of the work she was putting into this. And then she opened her eyes widely, a loud moan escaping her lips as an intense orgasm rocked through her body, causing her legs to shake involuntarily. Her satisfaction dripped out from her and coated her fingers as she gasped, the experience overwhelming and taking over all of her senses. A few seconds later she sighed, wishing Cordelia was there to kiss her and whisper that she wanted her just as much as Misty did.

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

The moon was high in the sky, shining above the quiet lake. The trees that surrounded it moved slightly with the soft breeze, and the moonlight entered through the windows of the castle. Cordelia was lying in her  bed, eyes closed as she thought. She couldn’t get the other princess off of her mind, her own words replaying in her mind. She had been brave for telling Misty that, but at the same time it had been incredibly inappropriate. They had met each other just a few days ago, it was obvious that the blonde girl wasn’t likely to feel the same for her. Still, she was sure that she had seen the glimpse of lust in the girl’s eyes before they had been interrupted, and just for that it had been worth it. She had heard so much about the firstborn of the Southern Swamplands, but most of it was just random tidbits of information and rumours between the servants and the merchants that travelled there in summer.

‘ _They say that the heir to the throne of the Southern Swamplands went to battle with her father a few moons ago, and had to come back because of a wound.’_

She finally pieced together where the scar she had seen before on the taller blonde had come from. She knew that Misty had been trained as a knight _and_ a lady, but knew not that she had actually gone to battle with her father. She could already imagine the other girl in shining armour with a sword at her side, fighting knights and battling. It was a beautiful scene that she imagine, but yet it scared her, afraid that she’d lose the girl in said battle. _You just met her, she shouldn’t be so important to you already._ Cordelia was sure that her attachment to the other princess was result of the eighteen years she’d spent waiting, and then her final surprise when she had finally met her. She was certain that her reasoning for being so attached had been because Misty had proven her wrong and freed her from the idea— which she had accepted so long ago—of having to marry a selfish, abusive prince. A knock on the wooden door pulled her from her musings. She stood and went to open it in her night dress, finding the knight behind the door.

He entered her chamber in a rush without giving her time to welcome him and he kissed her deeply, hands going to the back of her neck to keep her there. She reciprocated with confusion, not knowing what else to do. Still, when she felt his hands moving down to her back she had to push him away. It just didn’t feel right— she actually didn’t feel _anything._ No butterflies, no ache between her legs. She suddenly realized everything that had been missing in her small affair with the knight. She felt nothing for him. And yet, she knew she had felt it before, when she was with Misty. Until the moment Cordelia’s future marriage had been arranged Hank had been the one favored to marry her someday, and they had grown up together knowing their possibility. They had grown up to become more than friends, but every time Cordelia kissed him she felt empty. Lifeless. As a puppet her mother was controlling from the throne.

“I’m tired of this. I waited for years for you to let me kiss you, even if we were still young. Then a few months ago, after years of ludicrous excuses, you made me wait to do anything more, saying that you have to stay pure until marriage. But then, I find you bare in the lake with another woman, as if nothing had happened between us.”

“Hank, she is my future wif—”

“ _And what am I?_ I want to be with you, and I don’t care that you are engaged to be married. I’ve only been your entertainment, a jester. _Am I right?_ You have never felt anything for me. You were just playing with me, as if I were only here to be one of your toys!” he yelled, his eyes full of anger like they had been before, in the forest, as he looked at her. For a second Cordelia thought that he might strike her, but then she remembered— _she was royalty_.

“Leave me alone, Sir Foxx.” she told with a haughty tone, swallowing hard and fighting her urge to cry, keeping her head high. She was scared. She knew Hank, knew he was an impulsive one, she knew he would soon start to yell louder, no doubt waking every single one of her maids. “It’s over.” she turned around and walked back to her bed, covering herself and not looking at him. She didn’t dare to.

“I can’t believe I fell in love with you, your highness.” he spoke bitterly, spitting on the floor and standing for a moment before turning and walking back to the door, only to turn again and look over at her with a glare. _“You’re just like your mother.”_

“Don’t you _dare_ talk to you future queen like that, Sir Foxx.” the young princess heard someone just outside the door tell him, the familiar voice of one of her eldest maids making her feel safe. Myrtle was like a mother to her, always had been. “If you’ll excuse us, your highness and I must speak.” And with that, the maid looked at him with her own cold glare, knowing that he wouldn’t dare to confront her. _She had raised him, too, anyway._


	5. Chapter 5

“I’m just a mess, Myrtle. I have known her for all of two or three moons. I didn’t know she was even a _maiden_ , Myrtle. I thought she would be a prince, that _she_ would be one of those men that didn’t care about their queens, that go out at night to find the company of another woman. I didn’t think that it would be… _her._ ”

“I know, my sweet little princess, I know.” the woman hugged her tight, not knowing what else to say or do for the girl she had seen grow up in her arms. Twenty five years had passed, she had been getting older and older, from a scared little girl to a grown woman. Myrtle had taught her almost everything she knew.

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

“Tie her corset tighter, Leonora.” the arrogant blonde woman told as she briefly watched her daughter try on the wedding dress that had been sewn with her specifically in mind. It was an absolutely astonishing dress, the most beautiful one that the princess had ever seen. It had a fitted, hand beaded corset and embroidered silk, laced up on the sides. It’s formidable design resembled a rose, Cordelia had noticed. The softest and prettiest lace she had ever seen on a dress was paired with the delicate sweetheart neckline bordered by soft rose bud lace and pearls, and long sleeves. “We have to hide these ugly marks you have on your skin. I can’t believe you’re my daughter…” the queen told with disdain, walking around Cordelia. “You make such a beautiful maiden, Cordelia. It’s a shame you are such a disgrace.” she added with a sigh before walking out of the room. Cordelia stared at the closing door with sad eyes, knowing very well that it was better to not comment than to reply to her mother’s backhanded compliments. Silence filled the room, only to be interrupted by Myrtle a few moments later.

“Are you certain you’ve chosen properly, your highness?” Myrtle asked, eyes focused on helping the seamstress with the last details of her dress, sticking needles into the hems of the dress and on the back, adjusting it to fit Cordelia’s petite figure. The young woman looked at the maid with a questioning look before going back to staring at her reflection.

“Yes. Mother said that she wanted an alluring ball gown, and I have no doubts that my mother prefers this kind of dress.” she told with false decisiveness, running her fingertips over the lace and the rhinestones of the corset. Of course, she was oblivious to Myrtle’s worries.

“No, I didn’t mean that.” the woman told, holding the dress for the seamstress and inspecting the magnifique lace that covered the skirt. Once the work was done, she undid the lace of the corset and helped Cordelia out of it, not saying a word until the dress was left to sit on top of the bed.

“What did you mean, then?” the princess asked, turning to look at the older woman. She had always been straightforward with her, like a mother with her, never keeping anything left unsaid. “Myrtle…” she could see worry inside the woman’s eyes, as if something were meant to be told and hadn’t been. The red-headed woman stared at her, pondering her options. If she spoke up, Cordelia would no doubt want to confront her mother— and that would probably end up in the princess’ death. If she didn’t, she would still feel dead inside for lying to the girl she had taken care of for so many years.

“Nothing, your highness.”

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

** EIGHTEEN YEARS BEFORE **

The walls of the castle had been recently tinted black, the Queen’s magic still floating through them as she waited impatiently for one of her messengers to arrive. Finally, when Fiona of Orleans was on the brink of a destructive rage, the messenger entered the throne room and bowed to the evil, arrogant queen, who glared at him with an inquisitive look. “You said you wanted to see me?”

The messenger swallowed hard and gave her a nod. “I bring a message from the Southern Swamplands, my queen.” the man told, looking at her and then reaching for a parchment he carried in his travel bag. Unfolding it, he started reading. “King Magnus and his wife, Queen Innocence, are delighted to invite Queen Fiona of Orleans to spend a few moons at their palace to celebrate the Queen’s expectancy of a firstborn. The celebration will take place in the summer solstice and the two following moons.”

The queen raised a brow at the information, then nodded. “Well done. You are dismissed.” Still, the messenger hesitated, lowering his eyes and making the queen frown. She studied the man’s face, reading his mind— that was one of her most valued powers. “You have more to say. Do continue.”

The messenger nodded again. “The King requests your presence in a private meeting the night before the celebrations start, your majesty. It seems that a seer has made a prophecy that seems to involve your kingdom.” he told, looking at her so she would see that he didn’t lie.

“You’ve done well to tell me.” she informed, before dismissing him. She then stood and turned to Myrtle, who stood near the throne, waiting for the queen to command her to do some task. “Prepare my carriage and travel clothes, and go tell the captain that I request four soldiers to accompany me to the Southern Swamplands. We’ll leave tomorrow at the sunrise.”

“Shall I prepare princess Cordelia’s travel bag too?” Myrtle asked. It was rare the occasion when the king and queen left without the young girl, but after the King’s death the girl had started to become more and more forgotten. Fiona looked at her with disdain and pondered her options, deciding not to let the girl accompany her. Whatever it was what this prophecy spoke of, Fiona would keep it from her daughter at all costs.

Three moons later, before it got dark, the black carriage crossed the doors of the white walled palace, a group of several servants quickly going to retrieve the visitors. The king went to greet them moments later, accompanied by his wife. None of them smiled, but yet they showed cordiality and welcoming manners— though Fiona knew that she had never been welcome in the south. After dinner that night, the king had commanded for the seer to enter the room and had made all of the servants leave. Myrtle, as curious as someone could be, hid behind a statue and listened closely to what the seer told.

“It happened two moons ago, your majesty. I was in the woods, walking through the trees to find ingredients for the healing potions I sell, when I had a vision. Moments later, I found myself fetching this parchment and writing this down.” she unfolded it and started reading with a trembling voice, the old woman’s back arched forward as she dropped her eyes to the paper.

 _“On the darkness of the fourth moon of the eighteenth year,_  
when the sun is down and the moon rises high above the calm water,  
the supernaturals of the south and the north will meet and mark themselves,  
to fight the devil that taints their lands and divides them.”

“Impossible.” Fiona told, standing up and walking forward to take the piece of parchment, only to discover that it was blank. “You are such a fool, there aren’t any words written in here! And you two, why do you believe this old hag?!” the queen rolled her eyes and stood up. Her skeptical manners were just a pure facade, an internal fear making its way through her body. _The supernaturals of the south and the north._ It was impossible. Witches had been erased from their kingdom and any nearing land many years before she had gotten married with the king, with the exception of her— she was of a royal family, nothing could harm her. Or at least she had thought so, until she heard the prophecy. _The devil that taints their lands and divides them._

”Possible. Very, very possible.” King Magnus told with his deep voice, knowing that whatever this prophecy was, it concerned them. The only supernatural that he had knowledge of in the north was the Orleans queen— she could have fooled everyone else, but not him. He could see through her dark eyes and straight into her equally as dark, empty soul, and her aura, colored with a powerful shade of black. “In fact, I have a proposition for you, your majesty.”

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

Misty sighed, watching her mother fix the lacy fabric of the skirt of her long, white dress with attentive eyes. She was kneeling beside the bed, face resting on the mattress as she observed her mother with a pout. “But mother, she will wear a sophisticated ball gown, I won’tt look good enough for princess ‘Delia!”

“Sweetheart, it’s okay. She is going to marry you, and she seems to…” the woman fell silent for a second. Misty had talked with her about the other princess’ words, not repeating them but giving the queen a general idea of the talk. “... feel attracted to you. You two will be okay.” she smiled and leaned forward to kiss her daughter’s forehead, then went back to her task.

“But the dress—” Misty started again with worry, only to be interrupted by her mother.

“The dress is perfect, Misty. You are a princess, but you are a knight too. And you know the traditions of this land, they have never celebrated a wedding like this.” The woman told with sadness. It was true that in their kingdom they had never had the kind of boundaries that this land had, and that traditions were too different between both lands, but that would not stop the southern family from marrying their daughter to the girl she seemed to adore. “You will wear a dress that is humble, while princess Cordelia will wear one that is more complex. Now put it on.”

“Okay.” the girl obeyed, standing up with her arms in the air and then letting her mother slip the dress over her head. It fell over her body graciously, covering it quickly. She turned around and then pursed her lips, the dress being a bit too big for her. “Mother, it’s too wide!” she complained, receiving a laugh from her mother in response.

“I still have to lace the corset, dear.” the woman told, skillful fingers starting to cross the laces and tie it tight, slowly starting to leave Misty slightly breathless. She looked at her mother with a panicked look, and the woman chuckled. “Don’t worry dear, we won’t tie it like this tomorrow.”

“Okay…” the princess stared at her reflection, waiting for her mother to finish. She usually didn’t care of what people thought about her, knowing that their opinions would not matter to them, but still she cared about Cordelia’s opinion, since she really wanted to impress Cordelia. Once she was done, the girl twirled around, looking at her new dress and studying it. “It’s beautiful... “ she whispered, then giggled and went to hug her mother, whispering in her ear. “But if she doesn’t think I look okay in this dress then I’m never speaking to you again.” she pulled back and giggled, then started untying the laces of her corset.


	6. Chapter 6

Minutes after trying on her gown, Cordelia walked out of the room and down to the garden, wanting to see if there were any fruits edible. “Your highness!” she heard someone call her from behind, a smile appearing on her face as she turned and looked into the younger girl’s blue eyes.”I mean, Cordelia.” she smiled widely, running next to her to take the older girl’s hand. “Would you mind if I went with you? One of your maids told me you had just headed here for a walk.”

“Of course, my dear. I was just heading for the greenhouse, I would be pleased to show it to you” the other told, causing a wide blush to spread onto Misty’s face as she freed Misty’s hand for a second and offered her arm. The younger princess grinned, eyes shining as she eagerly interlocked their arms. They spent nearly half an hour walking through the garden, Cordelia explaining to Misty the properties of the marvelous plants she took care of in her spare time. “Asafetida, banishes evil. Don’t go near it, though. It is quite… malodorous.”

Misty giggled. “Of course it is. It’s name means fetid.” They passed some apple trees and rose bushes, then entered a small greenhouse through an old wooden and glass paned door. Vines covered some parts of the walls, stopping the daylight from completely flooding the inside, but still allowing enough light to get in to let the plants grow, with  flowers planted next to the walls and in the center. “This place is beautiful, your highness.” Misty told, entering and gently dragging Cordelia inside with her as she started observing the colorful flowers before freeing the princess’ arm and walking around the space. “These are lilies, aren’t they? They’re similar to the ones we have in the swamps next to our castle, although ours aren’t quite this beautiful… I guess _everything_ is alluring here.” she whispered, looking over and meeting the older girl’s eyes. Cordelia blushed deeply, having caught the real meaning of the girl’s words and smiling widely.

“And those are white roses, my favorite. They mean purity, virtue and sincerity, and they show that a person’s affections are from a place deep inside the heart and as pure as virgin snow. Still, there are more hidden meanings in a white rose than what you can observe, Myrtle taught me. White has ever been a symbol of innocence, of a world unspoiled and untarnished. A bouquet of white roses means innocence and spiritual love. The white rose glorifies a love that is unaware of the temptations of the flesh and resides only in the soul, as opposed to the red rose that speaks of passionate promises.” she told, guiding Misty to the large bush and leaning onto the table to grab a small knife. Seconds later she was cutting some of the bright flowers, then walking towards a bush of crimson red roses and cutting some more. Misty looked at her with curiosity, watching Cordelia look around and grab a flexible vine to wrap around the stems of the roses. “I think this will prevent you from getting pricked with the thorns…” she muttered as she kept wrapping the vine around them. Once her work was finished, she turned around and smiled widely, offering the handmade bouquet to Misty. “For you, my princess.”

“Oh my…” Misty was the one blushing now, having watched Cordelia’s skillful hands create something so beautiful _just for her._ “Cordelia, this is so…” her words died in her mouth, overwhelmed by how kind and loving Cordelia was. And her lips, they were something Misty had never seen before. So alluring, so inviting. “Can I kiss you?” she questioned bluntly, her straightforward manners surprising the other for a second. The older princess’ eyes were wide, voice caught in her throat as her mouth went dry.  _Lord, Misty, you scared her._ the southern girl thought to herself as she impatiently waited for a reaction.

Cordelia smiled soon again. This was her favorite place in all of the castle’s grounds, the place where she went to have a moment of relaxation, away from her mother’s humiliations and instead to focus on her own musings. _There is no better place than here_ , she thought happily, taking Misty’s free hand again. “Of course you can.” she stepped closer to Misty, caressing her cheek with her thumb carefully. It felt so right, despite being taught that this simple, innocent touch was inappropriate. Misty approached her too, eyes fixated on Cordelia’s own brown ones as she inhaled deeply and leaned forward, pressing her lips to the shorter blonde’s eagerly, but gently. Cordelia’s eyes closed, squeezing the other’s hand she pulled her closer carefully, feeling the younger but taller girl lean into her even more. Cordelia’s lips parted slightly and Misty took the chance to deepen the kiss eagerly for a second before pulling back almost immediately, rethinking her actions.

“Sorry.” she told, blushing deeply and then looking down, giggling slightly. Cordelia laughed too, resting her forehead against Misty’s and closing her eyes, letting out a happy sigh. She felt something inside of her that she had missed for a long time, something that she had lost after realizing that she would marry someone she didn’t love— of course things had changed now, Misty was... _perfect_. “I got… overwhelmed with emotion.” Cordelia giggled, freeing Misty’s hand to cup her face and kiss her again, eyes closed as her tongue slipped inside the other’s mouth and explored it. She sighed against the girl’s lips and started to pull from her to lean her back on the vine-covered wall of the greenhouse, feeling Misty reciprocate happily. Their tongues danced together, Misty’s hand trying to leave the bouquet on top of a nearing table to put her hand on the back of her neck. They spent minutes like that in a long, unbreakable kiss that seemed to be an eternity for them. “You are a really good kisser.” Misty giggled happily, eyes still closed as she finally pulled back and rested her forehead against Cordelia’s. “I don’t want to, but… Shouldn’t we go back to the castle? It’s almost evening.”

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

The knight walked through the halls of the castle with his sword still hanging from the side of his belt. Very little protection was needed whenever people of the court visited the queen, particularly if they were to meet her alone. He knocked on the door of the enormous bedroom and waited for a response, hearing a faint ‘come in’ from inside. He walked through the door and then stared with wide eyes at the woman who sat in an armchair next to the window. “My queen, you wanted to see me?” he questioned.

“Yes.” the woman told with a distant look, head held high as she gazed through the glass at the distant lights of the nearest town. Dark brown eyes were focused on a campsite on the outer part of the town, where the southern knights had camped. Fiona figured they were probably spending their nights in the brothel of the town, since she was well-aware of the fact that in the southern swamps men being unfaithful to her wives was not well seen. “I have orders for you, Sir Foxx.” she told, never dropping her distant yet commanding tone. “Tomorrow, before the sun sets, I want these morons from the south dead, all of them.”

“But your majesty, what will happen with the arrangement? When the southern knights find out their king is dead, they’ll want revenge. And Cordelia… what will happen to her?” the man questioned with bravery, receiving a glare from the royal woman. He did not want Cordelia to get married tp anyone else but him, and a small part of him was already craving the throne, so he said no more and waited for her response. Fiona looked thoughtful, lips pursed as she pondered her options once more.

If Cordelia married Hank, she would have no problem figuring out a way to control him like a puppet, and even if he dared to stand up against her she would only need to use her powers to actually manipulate his mind. But Cordelia… she was special. Just as Fiona had been, and how the queen’s mother had been before. Cordelia had magic running through her veins, even if she thought that her only power was making potions— and she didn’t even know that they were more than just ‘herbal infusions’. She still remembered the first time the princess had come to her saying she had a remedy for her back pain, and since she hadn’t accepted to drink it, the girl had slipped it into a beverage thinking that she wouldn’t know. Still, she had drank it. In that moment she needed to know that Cordelia did not have powers, that the prophecy was not about the woman Cordelia would be eighteen years from then. Now, she would not be able to control Cordelia’s mind, she simply couldn’t. Cordelia was unwillingly growing stronger, to the point that sooner or later she would surpass her own mother. And there was only one decision to be made.

“Kill them. All of them.” she said nonchalantly. “And Cordelia…” She cared some about her daughter, but preferred her to die than to lose her throne to such disgraceful of a woman. Cordelia had never been powerful, no matter how hard the queen had tried to make her stronger. After the king’s death, she had tried to make Cordelia’s powers manifest by physically abusing her with her own powers, making her fly through the air and hit the wall numerous times during her childhood and teenage years. In the end, the girl’s bruises covered almost every inch of the skin that could be covered by her dresses. When Cordelia was twenty three, Fiona had finally accepted that her daughter was worthless except for creating potions— and still, that it could not be completely regarded as a useful or even remotely good skill. She would never be a powerful queen anyway, she was too hopeless for that.

“Kill her. Kill her once, kill her good, kill her dead.”

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

Since she was just a little girl, Misty had been raised with knowledge of not only the southern traditions but also foreign lifestyles, and she knew that she had been lucky enough to grow up in a loving family. While in Cordelia’s kingdom most of the marriages were arranged, in the south no one would commit for life with someone that they didn’t truly love. Misty had been the only exception in centuries, her marriage not only necessary to prevent a war but also based upon a prophecy that she knew nothing about.

It had been one of the only secrets that her parents kept from her, a secret that they had been careful not to reveal to anyone but Queen Fiona, the seer that had made the prediction, and themselves alone. To the King and Queen, it seemed that the secret was well kept, and that there would be little problem with how it carried out. It was because of this, that they were oblivious to the other kingdom’s evil Queen’s intentions, and without much thought had drank from poisoned wine, meant to keep them in a deep sleep when it fell into effect. They each kissed their daughter on the forehead with their respective bows to the queen and princess, thanking them for the food and heading back to their chamber. The King and Queen of the Southern Swamplands had fallen into a comatose sleep minutes later, just as Hank and his men had entered and carried them, slack and in deep sleep as they were, to the dungeons of the castle— then slit the King’s throat.

Many floors upstairs, Cordelia walked with Myrtle and some of the other maids through the castle, not yet ready to sleep. Many of them were usually flirting with the soldiers and knights that wandered through the fortress and the barns, and the visit of the southern knights was making them giggle with excitement— when Myrtle went to sleep, they’d escape to meet their newfound lovers. Still, Cordelia’s mind was focused on her memory of the kiss, still fresh on her mind. Her happiness had been obviously noticeable during the dinner, the furtive looks she exchanged with the other princess being caught by both families of royals. While Fiona’s expression was infuriated, the southern majesties were more than pleased with the almost immediate chemistry that had been built between both girls— the prophecy was starting to come true. And Myrtle, who was now talking about braiding the girl’s hair for the wedding, knew that the end was near.

“Princess Cordelia!” they heard someone gasp in front of them. The older princess’ eyes rose and met blue ones, Misty smiling shyly in front of her. She really loved that shy smile— that had been constant since the kiss for what she had seen during the dinner.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, your highness.” Cordelia commented, knowing that the younger girl’s chambers were exactly on the other end of the castle. “It’s still a pleasant surprise. May I have a short conversation with you?” she asked, looking down to her feet and swinging forward slightly. Cordelia smiled and looked at the maids, giving them a nod. Myrtle nodded back and instructed the maids to follow her, giggling and gossiping as they walked away. Misty approached Cordelia and took her hand, smiling shyly again. “I had the idea that maybe tomorrow we could go for a swim in the lake while the servants prepare everything for... the wedding.” she let out a soft giggle at the last word.

“I would love that, Misty.” Cordelia told with a smile, leaning forward and standing on her tiptoes to kiss Misty’s lips again softly. “You are wonderful.” she whispered after pulling back slightly, lips hovering over the other’s as she placed her free rested on Misty’s shoulder. “I think I’m falling in love with you.” she added before kissing Misty again, pulling her gently closer, feeling the younger but taller girl lean forward again. Cordelia’s lips parted and Misty deepened the kiss immediately. She cupped the girl’s porcelain face and kissed her again and again, eyes closed as her tongue slipped inside the other girl’s mouth and explored it while the older princess’ back was once again resting against the wall.

The kiss seemed unstoppable, the older girl’s hands starting to move up and down Misty’s sides as the taller placed her hand on the back of Cordelia’s neck, bodies pressing against each other as her other hand cupped her face. Cordelia moaned into the kiss, hips grinding against Misty’s for a second before the other pulled back, breathing heavily. “P— Princess Cordelia, I...” she began, looking at the other’s chest, that rose and fell in excited breaths, perfect braids now disheveled with strands of hair out of place and cheeks flushed in heat. Despite trying hard to gather her words, Misty found herself speechless. “I…”

“I don’t want to sleep alone tonight.” Cordelia interrupted, wide brown eyes staring into Misty’s as she silently begged her to stay with her.


	7. Chapter 7

Lips clashed against each other’s as hands explored bodies through the fabric of their cotton dresses, eyes closed and tongues dancing together slowly, exploring with no apparent rush. Time was not a problem for them, they had all night— and the lord knew how much they both wanted it. After falling onto the large bed, the older girl on top of the other, Cordelia’s mouth moved to the younger girl’s jawline, kissing her delicately; worshipping her lightly tanned skin and inhaling the soft perfume of flowers that her neck radiated. Misty’s breathing was still heavy, her corset making her chest movements more than obvious— and making Cordelia’s wandering hand finally find a place to rest on her heart. They were lost in the moment, two strangers finally meeting and exploring themselves as the seconds passed slowly. The night would be an eternity for them, and they would not waste it. Misty moaned, feeling the older girl kiss her neck, wet lips leaving a trail of soft caresses from under her jawline to her collarbone before moving to the other side and kissing her way up, her lips finally meeting Misty’s again.

The kiss was deep, tongues battling for dominance as the younger blonde managed to make them roll on the bed, her body now on top of Cordelia’s as she pushed her tongue against the other’s. She couldn’t believe that she was finally with the girl she had heard so much about, the girl that —according to her mother— was destined to be her true love. She pulled back for a second, eyes scanning Cordelia’s flushed cheeks and red, full lips as she gently pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “You’re stunning, princess Cordelia.” she assured, forgetting to drop the formality once more. She didn’t care though, and didn’t waste any more time before going back to kissing her needingly, wanting to taste the other girl’s lips again and again. She would never get enough of her, not even after she had touched, kissed and pleased her a thousand times over. With one hand on the mattress and the other wandering down the older princess’ side, Misty finally moved her lips lower to Cordelia’s neck, mirroring the other’s actions and giving her one last deep kiss before Cordelia rolled them over again, both of them giggling.

“You are a delight, my dear.” she whispered, hands moving to meet Misty’s and move them up over her head, trapping her as she intertwined their fingers together, grinning against the girl’s lips as they kissed repeatedly. “I’ve never felt…” Cordelia told, freeing Misty’s hands and then moving to kiss her way down her neck, tongue teasing the sensitive spot just above the blonde's pulse point, where the corner of her jaw met her neck. “So much lust…” Her lips slowly ventured lower to the princess’ cleavage, running along the hem of her plum colored dress she had worn that day. “And attraction…” Her fingers fiddled with the lace that tied the corset tight, slowly starting to loosen it. “And passion…” She was practically moaning against the other’s skin, placing eager kisses on her cleavage as she kept undoing the laces. “For anyone.” she finished, the corset now completely loose. Misty let out a sharp breath, not moving as she stared at the girl’s fingers, the graceful movements of Cordelia’s digits hypnotizing her as the corset started to be pulled from her body and exposed her upper undergarments. The older girl bit her lip, looking up to Misty’s eyes and then moving to straddle her hips, hands cupping her face to pull and make her sit up and kiss her deeply again. Misty hands found her back, starting to nervously undo the back lace of Cordelia’s moss colored corset, fingers getting tangled in it as tongues brushed across each other’s both playfully and lustfully. Cordelia’s hands were now in Misty’s hair, her hips grinding slightly against the other’s as she kissed her even more hungrily than before.

Finally both corsets were discarded, and soon the long skirts and undergarments followed. Cordelia kneeled on the bed, mirroring Misty’s pose as they looked at each other— both of them suddenly too nervous to look down to the other’s naked body. “I love you.” Misty blurted out, finally putting words to the feeling that had been running through her being for days. Her eyes widened, expecting Cordelia to pull back and walk out of the room— _Wait, no. This is her chamber, she will make me leave._ “Sorry, I didn’t mean it. I mean, I meant _that,_ but I didn’t mean it to sound so… Lord, this is arduous. I think that I am in love with you, but it’s needless to say that I don’t know you as much as I should to marry you, only what I’ve been told, but I think that with time I could learn everything about you and be good enough. I would even try to make you fall in love with me, if you l—.“

“Misty, wait.” the other interrupted her with a grin, leaning forward and kissing her deeply, pressing her uncovered chest against Misty’s as the other girl fell back on the bed. “I don’t need you to try and make me fall in love with you.” Cordelia whispered, pulling back to smile at Misty and lose herself in those eyes of hers for a second. “I already am falling in love with you. I know that we just met some days ago, but...” she sighed, kissing Misty again. “I don’t know, it’s like in the tales Myrtle told me, the ones of lovers that accidentally find each other, because they are predestined… Maybe we are predestined somehow?” her tone was questioning, as if she was scared that Misty would start doubting her and maybe even decide to walk away.

“I don’t know if we’re predestined, Cordelia… but I couldn’t care less.” the other giggled, pulling her into a long, deep kiss. The older girl kissed her way down her chest while cupping her breasts, kneading gently as she moved her mouth, halting in the valley between them for a few seconds and breathing hotly against the soft skin she found there before going to her nipple and taking the sensitive nub between her lips, sucking gently. And Misty moaned softly, just loud enough to engrave the sound in the other’s mind forever, making her want nothing more than to keep hearing that amazing sound. She sucked slightly harder and then released the bud, letting her tongue dance along the edge of the pink flesh of the girl’s nipple, circling closer and closer to it before taking it back between her lips, looking up to Misty’s face as her hand took care of the neglected breast, her thumb brushing over it’s peak and making the bud harden. The younger princess had her eyes closed and her lips parted slightly, her chest rising against Cordelia’s mouth as she arched her back. “I love you, Cordelia.” she sighed.

Cordelia freed the girl’s nipple and smiled. “Then, I should say that I love you too, my princess.” she giggled before continuing to kiss and knead on Misty’s breasts, feeling her hardened nipples inviting her to run her tongue around them. And so she did, making Misty moan slightly louder and start running her fingers through the older girl’s hair, undoing the braids gently. Cordelia’s golden hair was like the most delicate silk, of a light color that shone under the moonlight graciously after all the braids were gone. _She is so beautiful,_ Misty thought as she saw Cordelia then run her free hand up through her hair to untangle it, going back to straddling Misty’s lap— and exposing her whole body. She was shorter than her, just enough to be noticeable, and her body was what Misty could only describe as perfect despite being the occasional flaw. There were faint stretch marks on here and there, and Misty was sure she was looking at a birthmark in that moment, but if anyone asked her, she would still assure them that the young woman was the most beautiful, flawless human being she had ever seen. “You are so beautiful.” she heard the princess say, a soft smile appearing on her face at the compliment as they looked at each other. Cordelia couldn’t help but burst into giggles. “You are so dreamy and adorable, my princess.” she teased, letting out another giggle. _If mother saw me, acting like a little a child._ She was enjoying it all too much to care, though.

“Hey, I am not _adorable_.” the other warned, faking offense and furrowing her brows, pouting. An idea popped into her mind and she smirked wickedly, sitting up again and taking Cordelia’s breasts in her hands, she squeezed them gently as she moved her lips to her lover’s ear and sucked her earlobe into her mouth. She had no experience in being seductive or anything that could resemble it, but between what she had been told and the stories her maids told about the knights of their kingdom, she knew she could manage to be somehow appealing to Cordelia. “I am _fierce._ ” She traced her tongue along the shell of the princess’ ear. "A really fierce warrior.” she added, biting down on the lobe. Cordelia hissed at the sensation, having trouble finding something else to think about besides the fingers that kneaded her breasts, grabbing them from time to time. Misty then let her thumbs swipe closer and closer to the already hardened buds, painfully slowly but with a decisiveness. When she tugged on both, Cordelia arched her back and moaned her name out loudly, making Misty smirk slightly. She then moved her mouth down the other blonde’s body, taking a pink nipple between her lips. She waited for some seconds, letting Cordelia react to it with a gasp and a moan, and then sucked hard, her tongue making her way around the hardened bud. Their eyes had never looked away from the each other’s, lost deep in each other’s gaze until Misty decided to show how _not adorable_ she was and nibbled on the young woman’s sensitive nipple— in that moment Cordelia’s head fell back and another moan escaped her mouth. Misty breathed out in relief, still with the sensitive bud between her teeth, as her hand continued its ministrations on the other breast. A minute later, after going back to stroking Cordelia’s nipple with her tongue quickly, up and down, side to side and then in continuous, swirling circles— making the other whimper— she switched her attention the other breast. “I am your fierce princess.” she told, making Cordelia laugh slightly before going back to moaning.

“Misty...” she could hear her, feeling Cordelia’s hips slowly starting to grind against her, the younger girl interrupting her stimulation to position the older woman properly and start moving against her slowly, making sure that there was enough contact to please Cordelia— and noticing the wetness between Cordelia’s thighs. She felt the young woman’s hands cupping her face and pulling her needily into another deep kiss, pushing her bare body against Misty’s and moaning against her lips. “I need you, Misty…” she whispered, breathing heavily and hotly, her disheveled looks making Misty’s heart skip a beat. “My fierce princess.” she told, grinding harder against her as her darkened eyes focused on the younger girl’s lips. “Please…” she was practically moaning it, the husky tone in her voice making Misty feel her own arousal pooling between her legs. _God help me, I shouldn’t be this— Lord, I can’t believe this._ Without any more thinking, Misty moved both of them to the side and carefully lay Cordelia down on the bed, studying her body with her gaze. The older girl smiled at her facial expression, opening her arms to invite her lay on top of her. “Come here, my princess.” she told, and Misty clearly did not waste a second. Without much thought, she moved on top of the other and moved her hand between their bodies, cupping her sex and feeling Cordelia’s wetness coating her palm. Misty leaned forward to kiss the other, rolling the palm of her hand slowly and feeling Cordelia push her hips against it as she moaned against her lips.

“Cordelia…” Misty moaned, pulling back and making her way further down the other’s body, placing kisses on the soft skin until she finally came to level with her future wife’s soft, blonde mound. She couldn’t help but run her mouth over it, making Cordelia whimper as Misty found how wet she was, her slit glistening openly and her hips lifting slightly at her gentle touch, asking for more. She was overwhelmed by emotions, lust and desire clashing against a growing love and passion that she had never felt before, but that she now felt for the younger girl. Cordelia was looking at her intensely and lustfully, but at the same time with curiosity, face flushed, chest heaving slightly and hands resting on her sides, waiting. Misty faintly stroked a fingertip over the young woman’s slit, teasing between her folds slowly as she leaned forward and let her tongue trace lazy circles around her bundle of nerves. Cordelia moaned loudly, eyes falling shut as her mouth opened widely and her breath hitched. Misty hesitated, breathing heavily. She looked up to her lover, asking for permission silently. The older princess smiled and nodded. Misty moaned against the other’s clit in response, pulling slightly back for a second and then swallowed hard before letting her lips meet Cordelia’s clit again and  sucked at it slightly while slowly teasing her entrance with one finger. Cordelia bit her lip, looking down at the other with pleading eyes before deciding to take the lead and moving to force Misty’s finger to dip into her slowly as she whimpered. These whimpers were a sound Misty had started to love, and she sank her finger knuckle-deep, hoping to coax the sound out of her future wife again— as many times as she could.

“Hnnnnng,” Cordelia moaned, twisting her hips subtly. Misty let out a relieved sigh, keeping her finger inside of her for a few seconds before slipping it out. She bit her lip and then raised her finger, putting it between her lips and sucking on it. The older girl’s taste was strong, but still wonderful. “Do I… taste good?” Cordelia asked, looking at her with worry. Despite being twenty-five, despite being older and wiser than Misty, the young woman was simply as insecure and inexperienced as her— and even though it was probably selfish, the eighteen year old found that comforting. She moved up the bed and kissed Cordelia deeply, letting her taste herself on her lips. The kiss lasted for a few minutes, until they finally separated again. “Oh.” the older princess gasped, smiling at the other.

“Does that answer your question, your highness?” Misty teased, pecking her lips again before kissing her way down her body again and meeting her clit with her lips eagerly, this time with more confidence. Cordelia laughed at her comment loudly, moaning softly between giggles as Misty sucked on her sensitive bundle of nerves. She quickly slipped her finger inside of her again, making her groan softly, her hips bucking slightly as Misty’s finger teased her. Cordelia looked at her love with loving eyes, biting her lip again. Misty slid her finger back out, grinning wildly and then sucking it clean once again, getting another laugh from Cordelia. It was obvious that the older girl was loving the teasing, the confidence that had built between them becoming more obvious than ever now. She worked it back inside again, in love with the way the older girl gripped her, feeling both triumphant and incredibly aroused as she watched the blonde finally give up. Her head fell back on the pillow, lolling back and forth on it as she shuddered, moaning as Misty pumped in and out of her in a slow but steady rhythm, gripping the sheets of the bed. Her moans grew louder when the younger girl returned her mouth to Cordelia's throbbing clit, and she ended up adding a second finger, massaging the older princess’ inner walls, twisting and curling her fingers before swirling them around, enjoying the feel of Cordelia’s growing wetness.

Cordelia panted as her body shuddered in pleasure. She released the sheets and moved one hand to tangle it in Misty’s wild blonde curls, desperate to keep her in place as the girl’s tongue was alternating between gently sliding the blonde's clit up and down and sucking on it again, moaning against it. Slowly the girl’s fingers fastened their speed and pumped inside of Cordelia with a steady rhythm at the same time that her tongue relentlessly attacked her clit, the taste being almost addictive to Misty and making her stop her adorable, innocent manners. She _needed_ Cordelia. And for the way that Cordelia’s legs were shaking and her muscles tightened occasionally, it seemed that she needed her too. “Misty, Misty, Misty!” the older princess ended up screaming in pleasure, her walls contracting around the fingers that were still buried within her, the first orgasm that she had ever experienced kicking in harder than she had ever expected. It definitely felt way better than when she touched herself, alone in her chambers at night, and the way Misty kept up the rhythm of her fingers and her methodical sucking, keeping the orgasm riding high for a few more seconds, was making the experience almost unbelievable. Removing her mouth and hand, Misty moved to kiss Cordelia’s lower stomach, watching her breathe heavily and pant as she recovered, eyes lazily fluttering open. “Mhhhhmm, come here, my princess.” she told, opening her arms for Misty.

The younger blonde grinned and crawled up Cordelia’s body and kissed her softly before burying her face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. Sweat, mixed with flowers and the smell of sex, floated all around Cordelia, making Misty smile against her glimmering skin. “I love you.” she whispered, eyes closing. The older looked down at her and grinned, putting two fingers under her chin to make her look at her and then kissing her lips again softly.

“I love you too, my princess.” she whispered back, looking deep inside blue eyes and smiling widely. Misty was so easy to love, there was not a single flaw to her. “That was overwhelmingly marvelous…” she added, letting out a laugh and then biting her lip. “I’ve never experienced something like _that._ ” she admitted.

“You’d never… pleased yourself before?” Misty asked with incredulity, not knowing what to say. It was true, she had only just started to discover herself a few years ago, but could it be possible that in these lands women weren’t allowed to touch themselves in a sexual way?

“Oh, no, dear!” Cordelia giggled, pecking Misty’s lips and taking her hand, intertwining their fingers. “My maid, Myrtle Snow, told me about it when I became a woman. I had heard some of my other maids, a few years older than me, talking about how much it hurt when a man consummated his marriage, or affair, with a woman, and I asked her. She told me that girls usually practiced themselves alone at nights, so that moment it would hurt less.” she told, blushing deeply. “And… you?”

“Oh, yes. Maidens in our land are taught about it at an early age, so we can decide our fate by ourselves.” she shrugged, hugging the other woman tighter, not wanting to let go of her. “Also, I started having these kind of thoughts years ago, and I was… curious, I guess.” she smiled and kissed Cordelia lightly, letting out a soft giggle after.

“Does it feel good when you do it?” Cordelia asked, smiling. It felt so normal to talk with Misty about that kind of topic, neither of them bothered by the sweat that covered their naked bodies, the older princess’ chest finally raising and lowering at a normal pace. Hank had always treated the subject as one of her obligations, denying her freedom to choose.

“Yes. Although it had never felt so good as last night.” Misty blurted out, getting a surprised but amused look from Cordelia. She immediately felt an intense blush covering her whole face, eyes widening as she realized that she had just admitted to have touched herself less than a day ago. Still, she was relieved that she hadn’t told what— or who— she was thinking about.

“Oh.” Cordelia raised a brow and grinned, licking her lips and then biting the bottom one as her eyes darkened in lust. It wasn’t too hard for her to put the pieces of the puzzle together, the fact that the day before she had told Misty such intimate things and then she had touched herself at night giving her a clear idea of what the girl had had in mind. “I see…” she rolled on the bed, imprisoning Misty under her and then looking into her blue eyes once more. “What did you think about, if I may ask?” she asked.

“I, uh…” the younger girl looked away, but quickly returned to look at Cordelia when she felt her run her fingers on her neck, her thigh positioned between Misty’s legs and pressing slightly against her core, not letting her feel any pleasure though. “I thought about you.” she admitted. There was no point on hiding it, she could see the knowledge of truth inside the older blonde’s eyes— eyes that looked ardent in that moment. “I thought about the things you said at the lake, about what you told me you would do to me.”

“And…” Cordelia hovered her lips over Misty’s, eyes scanning the details of her face for a few seconds before the older princess moved to lustfully kiss her jawline, moving down to her neck and to her cleavage— only to return up with a long lick up her neck, lips ending up ghosting over the younger blonde’s ear. “Was it pleasurable, my princess?”

Misty gasped at the usually affectionate term being used so flirtatiously now, feeling the arousal that had and was still pooling between her legs against the other’s thigh. She licked her lips, breathless at the young woman’s look, losing herself in the darkness of those eyes that she was learning to love. “Yes.” she told, nodding and biting her lip. She could still remember how vivid the images in her head were, as if they were real— and suddenly realized that this was actually reality and that she didn’t need to imagine it anymore. “Please, princess Cordelia.” she sighed throatily, mouth dry as she spoke. “I want to feel you inside of me.” Cordelia purred in her ear, starting to kiss the spot under it and then moving to kiss further down her body, her tongue starting a delicate, torturingly slow dance around the pink flesh of her nipple. Meanwhile, her thigh pressed more against Misty’s core, feeling the warmth of her arousal on her skin. Misty groaned, both in pleasure and frustration, feeling the ache between her legs intensify. “Please ‘Delia.” she begged in a soft voice.

Cordelia grinned against the soft flesh, knowing that she was driving Misty crazy. This hadn’t gone the way she had thought it would— it was a pleasant turn though. “Just wait… I want to make this more pleasant than last night.” she whispered, sucking on her nipple and then taking it out of her mouth to blow cold air against it softly. Misty whimpered, squirming under Cordelia for a few seconds before the other moved to repeat her actions on the other breast. Once she was done she kissed her way down the other girl’s body and then gave a long, slow lick to her slit, collecting her arousal and then crawling up her body to kiss her deeply. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” Misty muttered against the other’s lips, feeling her own taste on her lips as Cordelia’s hand moved down her side and rested on her lower abdomen for a second before her fingers moved between her folds, spreading them apart and then pressing against her clit. Misty moaned in pleasure, eyes closing and head falling backwards against the pillow, unruly wild curls covering the girl’s face as Cordelia’s fingers made circles around her sensitive bundle of nerves. Soon her movements sped up, feeling Misty’s need as she went back to kiss her and making her moan against her lips. “Cordelia, please…” the younger girl begged, knowing that she would not last much longer. She was simply too overwhelmed by sensations— the way Cordelia’s lips clashed against her in needy, passionate kisses; the way her fingers circled her clit quicker; everything was perfect. Still, even though she didn’t think she could feel more pleasure, Cordelia entered her with two fingers, sliding them inside easily and starting to pump them in and out. Their bodies radiated heat, their sweat was mixing with each other’s and their tongues danced together gracefully but passionately at the same time. “Cordelia…” Misty started to feel breathless, heart drumming against her chest as the older girl circled her clit with her thumb while thrusting her fingers inside of her, mentally noting what the younger blonde liked and how her body reacted. It didn’t take her long to find the best way of pleasing the girl, and a few intense, almost eternal minutes, Misty’s walls tightened around her digits, her hips bucking against them as she let out another loud moan. “Cordelia!” she practically screamed, wrapping her legs around the other’s hips and clinging to her as Cordelia smiled and went to kiss her neck.

Cordelia moaned, feeling Misty’s nails dig into her back as she gave a few final thrusts, helping her ride out her orgasm as she buried her face in the crook of her neck, the scent of sex and sweat intoxicating her. Silence fell in the room, only disturbed by the faint sound of their breathing. Both of them smiled, Misty of pure ecstasy while Cordelia wore a hopeful, dreamy smile on her face. “Does this make me yours, Cordelia?” Misty asked. Loyalty was considered one of the most important characteristics of the southern marriages, and by consummating it the deal of loyalty was set. But in these lands, everything was different— people broke deals without worrying about consequences.

Cordelia pulled back slightly, staring at her with curiosity. Did she really want to spend the rest of her life with a girl that she was just starting to love? It was madness, she knew it. There was no way that a marriage between two strangers could last until their final days, everyone knew that. Still, people did nothing to change these primitive traditions. _Maybe it’s time to start changing them..._ “Yes.” the older girl grinned, leaning forward to kiss Misty deeply again, not even waiting for her to react. After her initial shock, Misty quickly responded to the kiss, both of them rolling on the bed as they kissed, letting out giggles and laughs. ”And I will be all yours.” Cordelia added in a whisper, moving her lips to the younger girl’s neck before the other made her roll over on the bed once more.

“Can I mark you?” Misty questioned, now on top of the other with her hair cascading on the sides of her face. The older girl looked at her with worry, knowing that if anyone discovered they had consummated their marriage before the ceremony— “I know that in this land it is forbidden to do… _this,_ notbefore the wedding. So, if you’d like me to, I could mark you in a place where no one sees it?” her tone was questioning, asking for the other’s consent before doing something wrong and making Cordelia uncomfortable. A few moments later she saw the older princess nod, and she smiled softly. She ran her fingers down the other’s body, searching for a place that would be hidden from anyone else. Anything that Cordelia’s undergarments would cover was okay, but still she wanted them to be on a special place. She finally found a spot on the young woman’s right inner thigh, starting to create a minuscule bruise on the skin. “Here.” she told after she was finished, studying the small mark. She had not wanted it to be big, hating the idea of how Cordelia’s wonderful skin would look stained with such a big bruise. Still, it would remind them of their first night together— a night that was nowhere near ending. “In the south couples usually do this, it’s a visible way to show their love…” she commented, moving up the other girl’s body and then smiling at her and shrugging her shoulders. “Although some of them wear too many marks for my liking. I think one is more than enough.”

“Do I have to mark you too?” Cordelia asked with a grin, already thinking of where she could leave a mark. It’s not that the idea thrilled her exactly— she had learned that bruises should not taint a queen’s skin and firmly believed in that. Still, she could feel a rush of adrenaline running through her veins as she spread her legs once more and noticed the petite mark. She rolled on top of Misty, not waiting for her answer, and crawled down her body and sucked on the same spot of her skin, mirroring her own mark on her left thigh. “Now you are mine, and I am yours, forever.” she told with a smile, kissing the girl’s inner thigh and crawling back up her body, leaving a path of kisses on her stomach and the valley of her breasts. “I love you.” she whispered, kissing the girl deeply. Misty’s hands moved up her back, caressing the soft skin and drawing spirals on her skin. Slowly their kisses started to become more and more passionate, tongues brushing the other’s as their hands ran up and down their bodies.

“Can we…” Misty started, causing Cordelia to pull back abruptly with scared eyes. Had she done something wrong? What if Misty was uncomfortable? She opened her mouth to apologize, but as soon as she did so Misty rolled on top of her and grinned. “... change positions?” she finished, hearing Cordelia gasp and letting out a laugh. She repositioned herself lower on the bed, spreading Cordelia’s legs open and then turned around to kneel with her back facing the other princess.

Cordelia looked at her with curiosity, completely startled by her actions— until she realized what Misty was thinking of. “Oh… on our first night together?” she questioned. It wasn’t that she did not like the idea, she could already feel the want pooling between her legs again. But Myrtle had never told her about that happening the first time she was with someone. She simply was surprised, that’s it. Misty turned to look over her shoulder with panic. In the south it was well viewed to consummate marriage more than once in a night, but she wasn’t sure here it would be normal in this land. Cordelia smiled widely and started speaking again. “I am really concerned about this, but I feel excited too… Can we do it?” she asked shyly, receiving a nod from Misty. The younger girl moved closer and straddled her face, thighs on either side of Cordelia’s head, biting her lip as she leaned forward, slowly burying her face between Cordelia’s legs and flicking her tongue over her clit, hearing the older princess moan.

“Lord, Misty…” she said, eyes closing shut for a few seconds before opening widely. She was sure her mind had stopped working for a few moments, and the world with it. But as soon as her brain started functioning again, her hands moved around Misty’s thighs and pulled her closer, burying her face between her thighs and starting to run her tongue along her slit cautiously. Soon they were both focused on pleasing the other, their moans mixing together and getting louder. While Misty’s tongue made circles around the older princess’ clit and her moans vibrated against her core, Cordelia’s tongue started to plunge inside of Misty’s entrance while her hands caressed her buttocks. “Misty, where did you learn to— _oh lord…_ — do this?!” she asked in amazement and let out a moan.

“I never did…” the younger girl told, moaning against Cordelia’s core and then running her tongue down her slit once more. “I just read your body’s reaction and do what feels and seems right.” She didn’t exactly know why, but she felt that she knew exactly what to do to make the other blonde feel pleasure, as if their bodies shared a connection. Of course, she would not tell Cordelia that, it would sound strange. _Focus, Misty. Don’t stop your movements… she wants you. She  really does want you._ “I love you ‘Delia.” she whispered before putting her lips around the sensitive bundle of nerves and sucking on it. She needed Cordelia, she really did need her. And as she thought so, she let out another moan against her core, and quickly her fingers replaced her tongue as two of the older girl’s digits entered her just in the moment she thought about it, curling inside of her and hitting the right spots to make the older girl scream in pleasure. “Oh, lord! Where did _you_ learn to do that?!”

Cordelia let out a short laugh and then started pumping her fingers in and out her lover’s entrance. “I really don’t know…” she giggled, quickly falling shut as she focused on both her movements and the feeling of Misty pleasuring her. Quickly their moans became loud again, both of them lost in the pleasure for a while until the younger princess was not able to ignore the fact that she was almost over the edge and let go. Cordelia heard her moan her name throatily and let out a sharp breath, the short sound making her reach her climax too. She squirmed and moaned loudly again, her moans mixing with Misty’s. None of them moved for many minutes, exhausted by the intensity of their sexual encounter but with a smile on their faces.

“That was wonderful.” Cordelia breathed out, looking down to find Misty timidly licking her fingers and then wiping them on her thigh before the younger princess moved from over her body and then kneeled next to her, placing a soft kiss on her lips. “You are wonderful.” Cordelia added in a whisper, moving her hands to caress Misty’s cheeks with her thumbs and pulling her into another meaningful kiss. The younger princess slowly laid down on the bed and moved closer to Cordelia, letting out a happy sigh. “Shall we sleep, dear?” Misty nodded and snuggled against her, their legs intertwined. It wasn’t long until they drifted off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

They had had less than an hour of sleep, Cordelia sleeping calmly in Misty’s arms while the other’s face was buried in light blonde strands of hair. For the first time in a really long time, probably since before her father died, Cordelia did not have nightmares. She usually fought them with sleeping potions and amulets, or staying up until she was so exhausted that her mind could not even function without her sleep. But Misty made her feel safe, and that mixed with the exhaustion of their passionate encounter had made her fall asleep deeply almost immediately. She didn’t wake up until she heard steps rapidly approaching her chambers, and as she opened her eyes the door flew open and a crowd of guards, led by Hank, entered the room and pointed at them with their swords.

“You, swamp rat, get up, out of the bed.” one of the men told, taking Misty’s shoulder and waking her up immediately. The man pulled her from the bed and to the floor, the startled princess letting out a loud scream as he kicked her ribcage and ordered her to stand up. Cordelia sat up, eyes widened in fear as she covered herself with the sheets of the bed and stared at the scene, finding herself paralyzed.

“What— What are you doing?! Leave her alone!” she started screaming seconds later, jumping out of the bed with the sheet wrapped around her body and running towards Misty, only to be stopped to be grabbed by Hank and lifted on his shoulder. “You moron, take your hands off me!” she screamed, kicking the air and hitting his back with her hands as Misty tried to free herself. The southern princess was now standing, each arm tightly grabbed by a guard as they started to drag her out of the room. “Wait, wait! Where are you taking her?! Stop!”

“Stop talking, you harlot.” Hank snapped, holding her tightly and then pushing her on the bed once the door was closed. Cordelia crawled up as far she could, scared of what would happen next. Could it be that Hank had gone mad? How could have he convinced his men to accompany him in such a despicable act? Nothing made sense to Cordelia. “I’ve been your first suitor for years, decades even, waiting patiently to be able to even touch you. I’ve faked being your best friend, to like the way you treated me every time you refused to go further than just a kiss. But now, now you give yourself to a southern girl you know nothing of. What has she got that I don’t?”

“So much, Hank.” she told, ignorant of what these words would spur. A hand flew to her face, slapping her cheek with strength. Cordelia’s mouth fell open in surprise, her eyes closing as the tears that she didn’t even know she was holding back started to fall down her cheek, a reddish mark starting to appear a few seconds after. The room fell silent for a few minutes, and then Hank made his way to the door, followed by his men. “The queen wants to see you, milady. Get dressed.”

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

“Leave me go, you bastards!” Misty yelled between sobs, kicking the air and trying to stop them from dragging her. She could feel the servants and knights that walked through the castle staring at her with wide eyes before going to whisper between them. She did not understand what was happening, the cold stone under her feet and the breeze of air that she felt against her naked skin making her too confused to think. There was no bigger humiliation than being dragged completely bare through the whole castle, like a peasant who was going to be stoned. They started going down a spiral staircase, only big enough for one person. It seemed to have no end, Misty noticed as she walked trying to not to step or brush the mold of the walls and ground, until she finally saw a torch that lightened a wooden door. The guards quickly opened it, revealing a wide dungeon, full of small jails carved into the walls. They were underground, and for the water drops that leaked through the ceiling, also underwater. Was it possible that the dungeons had been carved under the lake? Suddenly she was being pushed into a damp, dark cell, her naked body hitting a stone wall. She sat there almost unconscious, the room spinning as her vision became blurry. Soon a dirty dress was thrown to her to cover herself, and the door of the cell closed. “I swear to the lord, you will end in flames!” she yelled as she watched them walked away.

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

When Cordelia, now fully dressed with a simple blue dress and her hair braided on her back, arrived to the large room, she simply could not believe what she was seeing. Her mother was sitting haughtily on her throne, a guard on each side. In front of her, kneeling and keeping her head low, was Myrtle Snow, dressed with black clothing and with tears in her eyes. Her red hair was a complete mess, making her look more like an old hag than a maid. “Myrtle!” the princess screamed, starting to run towards her but being stopped by her mother’s powers, that made her tumble. She looked at the woman with a confused face, then at the queen. She slowly stood up, understanding her mother’s message and walking to her throne. “What is happening, mother?”

“Cordelia, my child. I’ve been so wrong all my life, trusting your life to such a traitor like this woman.” the queen started in a melodramatic tone, that Cordelia quickly identified as pure lies. That was what always happened whenever her mother lied anyway, she had learned it when she was a teenager. A small play where her mother would play the role of the victim and the judge, while someone innocent would pay for her actions. “This woman you see here, the one I let taking care of you and raise you, has betrayed not only our family but our kingdom, slaying our guest King Magnus’ throat and then presumably killing his wife, Queen Innocence. Anything to say in your defense?” she questioned, turning her face to look at the woman.

“I didn’t do anything, Princess Cordelia.” the woman told with a strangely peaceful tone. But the young princess was not surprised, Myrtle had always kept calm when someone normal would have been desperate. The woman could seem a cold person at first, slightly odd and loony, but in fact she was both wise and caring. She had always been like that with the princess, to the point she considered her a daughter more than just the princess she had to take care of. “You know it, you know she lies. She’s the devil, the one the proph—” the woman kept saying, just to be interrupted by the queen, who with a hand movement threw her against the wall, the following impact against the stones of the floor making her temple bleed.

“Myrtle!” the princess screamed, wanting to go running towards her but finding an invisible barrier surrounding her and keeping her in place. She tried again, and once more, watching the guards get the almost unconscious woman away. She now cried out and let out soft screams every time her foot touched the ground, her bones probably broken from the fall. “Let me out, please let me out!” she hit the magical force with her hands, a desperate attempt to make it disappear and run into her true mother’s arms. It was impossible, though and soon she was seeing the woman being dragged to the contiguous room and kneel, the door wide open for her to watch. “Myrtle, Myrtle!”

“The prophecy, my dear! Remember the prophecy!” the woman yelled in what were her last words before her throat was slit.

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

Many levels under the ground, in the damp cell she had been thrown into, Misty hid in a corner from the looks of the guards and curled into a ball as the tears fell down her cheeks and echoed against the floor. She did not cry for herself, in fact she did not care that she had been humiliated in this foreign land she was supposed to rule in the future, or that she had been separated from Cordelia without being able to say goodbye. She wondered where the other princess would be, and in what state. The last time she had seen her she was bare, her body only covered by a delicate bed sheet, scared in a in a room full of men— one of them being a spiteful man. “Delia…” the girl whispered, closing her eyes and trying to stop her crying. She couldn’t; she simply couldn’t stop sobbing. It was then when she heard a voice near her cell, calling her.

“Misty, is that you?” the girl heard, a voice echoing in the cell next to hers, so familiar that it made her heart shrink. It couldn’t be, what could the woman be doing in the dungeon. It was impossible, it really was not possible. “Misty, my little princess, are you here? Are you hurt?” the voice asked in a motherly tone. “Did they do something to you?”

“Mother?” she questioned, standing up weakly and walking towards the stone wall. Her feet hurt, a few cuts on the sole making her whimper in pain as she walked. “Mother, is that you?”

“Yes my dear.” the queen responded, falling silent immediately after when she noticed the guard approaching them. She did not say anything more, waiting for him to walk away to another corridor of the maze of cells. “Are you hurt?” she whispered.

“Just a few cuts on my foot, nothing more. And you, mama? Are you hurt? Where’s papa?” she questioned in realization that her mother never left her father’s side. The queen to her king, as she used to say. There was not anyone who did not know that when Queen Innocence was not next to him, something was wrong. _Really wrong._

“Your father is dead, Misty.” the woman told with a sad voice, trying to be strong for her daughter. “His throat was slit this night, after the feast. I woke up here, with my clothes ripped off and— No, I must not tell you that.” the woman interrupted herself, knowing that they couldn’t waste time. “I think there was poison in our drinks, my princess. I believe Queen Fiona poisoned us, to circumvent the prophecy.”

“What prophecy?” the girl asked in another whisper, quickly falling silent as her mother hushed her up, having spotted another guard approaching them. A drop of water fell on her face, and after wiping it she found the guard’s eyes on hers, looking at her with an arrogant stare before continuing his watch and walking away. Soon her mother started talking, telling her what she had observed the few hours she had spent there. The guards seemed to follow a pattern, appearing on the corridor of their left and then walking towards the other end, disappearing to their right. They were only five guards, making circles through the maze, with no apparent escape but the staircase she had walked down. “Mother, what did you mean with a prophecy?” she questioned again when her mother had finally stopped talking.

“In the past, when I discovered I was with child, an old seer that lived in the woods came to see your father and I. She told she had news for us, that involved the northern and southern firstborns. We did not know what she meant until she showed us a parchment with a prophecy written on it. _On the darkness of the fourth moon of the eighteenth year, when the sun is down and the moon rises high above the calm water, the supernaturals of the south and the north will meet and mark themselves, to fight the devil that taints their lands and divides them._ ” she recited, having learned the prophecy by heart. “It took us days and deep research in our manuscripts to realize that it involved a kind of creature that we did not know still existed, having been purged from all the known lands.”

“Witches.” Misty muttered. She had read about them, of how they were believed to practice a kind of sorcery that included healing through spells, ointments and concoctions, dabbling in the supernatural, and forecasting the future through clairvoyance. The last one of them had been supposed to have died exactly twenty eight years before. “Do you mean that there are still witches in our lands? And they are going to save us?” the queen hummed in approval. “But who?”

“There are three of them nowadays, the three supernaturals the prophecy talks about. The first one is the most powerful one, the devil. She has all the powers that you can imagine contained in one human body. That witch is the most dangerous, ruthless person you can imagine.” Misty’s eyes widened, not needing to hear the name to know who it was. “Fiona of Orleans, she is the devil of the prophecy.” the woman whispered, falling silent once more when the next guard walked through the door. “The second one, the witch of the north, has darkness running through her veins, but is a person to be trusted. She is the one you belong with, Cordelia.”

“C—Cordelia?” the young girl was startled, not knowing what to say. Witches were dangerous creatures, unstable and powerful, that had nothing but the need to spread fear in her veins. It was impossible that the other girl, the one she had fallen in love with so quickly, that she had given her innocence to, was that kind of creature. “Princess Cordelia? _My_ princess Cordelia?!”

“Yes, Misty. Princess Cordelia of Orleans is a witch.”


	9. Chapter 9

The scream that Cordelia let out as she watched the woman who she considered her true mother die. The woman’s eyes, that had been staring at her all the time, quickly lost their usual wise glimmer. Myrtle Snow was gone, forever. Every good memory of Cordelia’s childhood, the moments of happiness in her teenage years, they had all been shattered. “Myrtle…” she sobbed, unable to do more than that as she fell down to her knees, the invisible barrier that had separated her from the others disappearing soon. “Myrtle...”

“Her time is up.” she heard Fiona said with a satisfied grin, successfully hiding the terror that she felt inside. Fiona of Orleans was terrified, for the first time in her whole life. She had lost the main object of her hate, and at the same time the only friend she had had. She had let the woman spill the only secret she hid, the only secret that could destroy her. “That crazy old hag, unable to say a single word that made sense…” she muttered with disdain before going back to sit on her throne, then looking at her daughter. “Oh, stand up, it’s not as if she was too important.”

“She was. She really was important.” the girl told, tears running down her face. She stood up weakly, shaking. The only mother she had known, the only person she truly cared of, the only one that had taken care of her whenever she needed. “She was so important, you can’t even imagine how much.” the princess told, hate starting to burn inside of her. She finally looked up to the queen, staring at her with fire burning in her eyes. “Tell me about the prophecy.”

In that moment the queen looked at her daughter and grinned. “Well, I am going to kill you sooner or later so I guess there is nothing wrong on telling you. In the past, eighteen years and four moons ago to be exact, an old hag who dared to call herself a seer said a string of idiocies about two witches coming to defeat the devil in this land. Quite flattering, that I am powerful enough to be considered the devil. Of course, that prophecy did not realize that one of these so powerful supernaturals would be the devil’s daughter or that she would be powerless.” she chuckled, standing up again and then walking towards Cordelia. “My poor, hopeless princess.” she told with a grin. “Guards,” she added, turning around and walking out of the room. “Kill her.”

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

“And the third one?” Misty asked, playing with the small puddle that had formed besides her from the water that leaked through the ceiling. They had been silent for a while, none of them knowing what to say as the princess let the information sink in. Cordelia was a witch. But she was a witch she could trust. So benevolent witches existed, after all. And Cordelia was one of the most important, even having a prophecy about her. “Who is the third witch?”

“You, Misty.” were her mother’s words, making the girl gasp. “Shhh, don’t raise your voice.” she added, knowing that her daughter would proceed to let out a squeal as she usually did when given this kind of information. The girl stayed silent, wide eyes staring to the cold, dirty water of the puddle and the dim lights that reflected on it. It was not possible, she could not be a witch. She was just Misty of the Southern Swamplands, just a princess. Nothing more.

“But mother, I can’t be a witch. Witches can do magic from a very young age, I read it. They are magical from the moment they are born, and I’ve never... “ her words died in her mouth, remembering an event when she was younger. She had been running through the recently burned hill from the swamps, exploring the cremated trees and their rests, the dust that the flowers had been reduced to, until she had felt herself exhausted and lay down under a dead oak, falling asleep almost instantly. When she had woken up, the tree shone in glorious green and hid her in its shade, and she lay in a bed of flowers. The whole hill was flooded by colors once more. “But…”

“Listen to me, darling. When I was young, my mother told me that my grandmother used to perform magic at home when she was alone, but I never believed her. Magic made no sense to me back then, and I easily forgot that fact. But when the seer appeared and we read the manuscripts, I realized. When you were five years old, you brought a bird back to life. At first we thought it simply had been hurt and you had healed it, but we realized we were wrong. We were so wrong.” The woman had started crying, the girl could notice. “You are the supernatural of the south, the one that joins Cordelia and fights the devil. It’s written in the stars, it’s your fate. You have to kill the queen, for good.”

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

After running out of the room and immediately going to the dungeons, all doors opening and the guards moving at her mercy, she had arrived to the corridor full of jails, the sound of her shoes on the puddles and her dress brushing the floor accompanied by the cries and whimpers of the prisoners. She had never been there, but she knew she had to be there— only to find a familiar face calling her from one of the cells.

“Princess Cordelia!” the woman had gasped out, sticking her hand out between the bars that separated her from the girl and searching her hand. The princess quickly had run towards her and kneeled in front of her, taking her hand. “Princess Cordelia, they’ve taken Misty. They said she’d suffer, please save my daughter! I believe in you, the prophecy is true.”

Cordelia had nodded and walked away, knowing exactly where Misty was. Tears already formed in her eyes as she walked towards a guard that upon seeing her tried to stop her. She closed her eyes, and somehow when she opened them she had left the guard far behind from her, startled and with his sword still on his hand. She grinned, slowly finding new powers that she had recently discovered she had. She soon arrived to a dark, short staircase that gave a slightly open door— and from what she could see, was hell on earth.

Cordelia was petrified, looking at the scene with tears in her eyes and a scream stuck in her throat. Misty was being tortured. There was blood everywhere, the princess’ soft skin now being ripped apart painfully slowly. The gruesome sight made Cordelia unable to move, except for the hand that quickly rushed to cover her mouth in a try to contain the scream that finally ended up filling the room. The princess’ name was screamed on top of Cordelia’s lungs, surprising everyone in the room. Suddenly everything was covered in flames, the torturer’s clothes burning his skin in return for the pain he had caused to Misty. “Misty!” the princess screamed once more, running towards her and helping her stand up, trying to avoid the fire that had quickly circled them. “Misty, please stand up, we need to leave.” she told, trying to hold the girl’s naked body and drag it through the room between the screams of the man. A wooden column in the middle of the room started to crack and lean towards them at a dangerously quick pace. “Misty, please, please walk.” she begged the other, starting to drag her towards the door. Misty immediately started screaming, the pain taking over her whole body as she was dragged. She cried out, screamed and sobbed, until Cordelia and her finally got out of that hell and the wooden door closed. “Misty…” Cordelia panted, kneeling next to the almost unconscious girl.

“The prophecy… You…” Misty was getting dizzier second by second, feeling the blood on her lips and her bare back. What had been a simple dress now was just a destroyed piece of ripped fabric, “My mother… save her.”

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

The three of them had been in silence for what seemed an eternity after Cordelia had made them appear there, in the same spot where two days ago Misty and she had swam together. “Everything will be fine.” “H—How…” Misty started, coughing blood almost immediately and staining her mother’s dirty dress. “How did you… escape…” she told in a whisper, fading blue eyes looking at Cordelia with genuine curiosity. “Guards… naked...” she squeezed the older princess’ hand softly. “Hurt?” When Cordelia realized what Misty was asking, she shook her head and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss against the girl’s bleeding lips.

“They did not hurt me, my love.” she whispered, smiling softly. “They brought me to see my mother, and they blamed your father’s death on… Do you remember the redhead woman that always walks— _walked_ — next to me?” Misty nodded. “They have blamed her for that, and for your disappearance, your majesty.” she explained, looking at the queen.

The sun shone brightly above the calm water of the lake that was in front of them. “I love you, my little girl. Everything will be fine.” the queen whispered to her dying daughter as she caressed her hair. No words were needed to be spoken for the queen to understand what had happened. “I am sorry for your loss, princess Cordelia. I am sure that your maid was a really kind woman.” she told with sincerity, giving the girl a nod and then pursing her lips. “Your mother… did she do something to you, Cordelia? Did she hurt you?”

“No, she didn’t. No more than the many times she has hurt me before, so I guess that today was just wanting to take the last thing I had. A mother… a real mother.” she sighed and caressed Misty’s knuckles with her thumb and smiling softly before taking the hem of her dress and cleaning the blood from her mouth. “We will be okay… I just need to fight my mother, then everything will be alright...”

“The p— prophecy…” Misty muttered, turning to look at the queen. Cordelia was sure that the blue glimmer of her eyes faded quicklier now, and she hated it. She hated knowing that she was slowly losing Misty with every passing second, she hated being losing the person she loved. “You… tell her… magic...”

“There is no need for that,” the princess stopped the queen as soon as she saw her open her mouth, not needing more than what she already knew. Bravery was the kindest word for stupidity after all, and knowledge would only stop her growing courage. “I am a witch, and I am meant to kill my mother. Kill her once, kill her good, kill her dead. Am I right?” The queen nodded. “Well then, I must be going. My mother must be dead by the time the sun sets. Go hide, there is a cave between these trees.” she told, pointing in the direction and then leaning forward to kiss Misty’s lips one last time. “Hold out, my sweet. We’ll see each other again. I promise.”

And with that, Cordelia was gone.


	10. Chapter 10

She had been running for an hour, hearing the chaos that had been unleashed in the castle as the queen’s guards looked for the three fugitives. A queen and two princesses, it was the strangest group of fugitives Cordelia could think of, but at the same time she knew that if one of them died, the prophecy would be broken— and she couldn’t let that happen. She had to kill Fiona, before Misty died. But how to do that, if she didn’t know if the other princess was already dead? What if it was necessary that Misty was alive for Cordelia to kill her mother? So many questions, yet no answers until the woman was dead.

When she resurfaced from the darkness of the woods, the first thing she saw was blood. Staining the grass, covering the knights’ corpses and the blades that were stuck in them. Blood, that came from innocent people, people whose only crime had been fighting for their kingdoms. She quickly fled the place, the now ripped skirt of her dress getting red stains with each step she gave. In her mind, just ending her mother’s life. She kept running through corridors and rooms, avoiding her mother’s guards. They all had darkness in their eyes, as if some evil spirit was controlling them. It seemed that Fiona had given her men at arms the order to kill every single one of the southern knights, starting a small-scaled war in the gardens of the castle. Cordelia saw some of her maids corpses on the floor of her chamber, having been brutally beheaded while she was away. _I could have saved them._

When she arrived to her mother’s chambers, she found her mother sitting on a chair, waiting. “Welcome home, Delia. I was waiting for you.” she told with a grin, her dark eyes staring directly at the girl’s. She was as haughty as she had ever been, despite not wearing her crown— that now rested on the bed. The walls, most of them covered by paintings of her in different moments of her life, had a darker tone than the rest of the castle, as if the dark magic was inlaid on the stone. Between the paintings, framed daggers hung with the names of their victims under them. The princess’ heart was leaping against her ribs like a frantic bird. Perhaps it knew it had little time left. “I see what have you come here to do. After all, I knew all this from the very beginning.”

“The prophecy.”

“Yes, the prophecy. I’ve known about it all my life, even before it was actually made by that old seer. But well, it was never meant for you to know. My plan was not telling you, and after today, I would live forever and take your soul. You’d be my puppet.” Fiona stood up and walked to the other end of the room, taking her crown from the bed and putting it on. “But of course, a queen’s secrets never stay fully hidden. That old hag, Myrtle, she had to be curious and stay in the room while the seer talked. I guess it doesn’t matter now, she’s dead and burned. But you, my little princess… What am I going to do with you? You know what this means, right?”

“For once, I do know.” Cordelia’s confident, sure tone surprised both of them, but she didn’t stop or walk away. She felt powerful, as if magic was growing inside of her, burning in her veins. She couldn’t flee, not now. She didn’t want to anyway. She took the gold cup that was placed on a table and served herself some wine, drinking it without taking her eyes off her mother. “One of us has to die.” she finished. “It’s a shame that I’ve never killed anybody.”

“Not yet. But that is what you came here to do.” the woman moved her hand and suddenly the candles of the room lit, shining around them. It was enough for the two of them to distinguish the glimmers in the other’s eyes, Cordelia seeing pure darkness inside her mother while the queen just saw kindness inside of hers. “That was the plan. A supernatural would come here and try to kill me, but I’d be faster and crush their skull before they could even look at me.”

“Makes it a little harder when it turns out to be your own daughter.”

“Not really.” the woman shook her head nonchalantly and Cordelia chuckled.

“Is that why you were so horrible to me? Because you knew I was to take not only your power but your life someday?”

“You took my power the minute I gave birth to you. A queen becomes a mother, and she can’t help but see her mortality in that cherubic little face. A new princess, a future queen. Every time I looked at you I saw my own death. You were a constant reminder of my worst fears. I didn’t act as a mother, but not because you were powerless. But because you were too powerful. It was nothing personal, my dear. I loved you plenty, though. Just my own way. Your fault was that you were looking for another version of motherhood. And now, here we are.” the queen told, walking to grab another golden cup and serve wine for herself. “I can feel the power vibrating off of you. It feels good, doesn’t it?” she took a sip from the wine, smiling as she walked back to her chair. “After all, you’re my daughter. My daughter, my nemesis, and my successor. My next victim. It’s my power, not yours.”

“Of course it is your power. As it comes to me, it leaves you. You have to kill me before I have all my powers, and you have to die for me to truly live.” Cordelia could feel the saltiness of the tears that had run down her face to her cheeks, some of them resting on her lips.

“Crying over me…” the queen sighed, rolling her eyes and then taking another sip of wine. It was one of the best barrels they had, specially made for her. She had been drinking from it for years, what had made her immune to the high quantity of alcohol it contained. “Isn’t that the ultimate twist.”

“I’m not crying over you.” Cordelia hissed, taking another sip and then looking at the woman with a teary but hateful look. “I’m crying for me. You were the monster in every one of my nightmares. Twenty five years spent either trying to prove myself to you and get close to you, or get away from you. I’m crying for the girl in me, who dies when you die.”

“Then kill them both right now.”

“If you insist.”

It had been less than half a second after Cordelia had spoken when the daggers that hung from the walls flew towards the queen at a vertiginous speed. The queen let out a gasp and raised her hand, making the daggers stop and turn towards the princess, advancing towards her. The girl stopped them once more, making them fall to the floor and turn into dust. “You’ll go to hell for this.” the queen told with rage, gracefully opening her arms and feeling the burn appear on the palms. Suddenly fireballs were flying from one side of the room to the other, Cordelia going to find refuge behind a wooden folding screen. Soon the screen was burning to ashes, and Fiona appeared in front of her, hands directly on her daughter’s neck, slowly choking her to death. “Your days are over, my love. I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

“No, mother… I won’t let you kill me...” the girl said throatily, kicking in the air as she tried to free herself from her mother’s grip. Her toes barely touched the floor, and slowly both of them started levitating. If she spent a few more seconds like this, she’d be dead. She knew it. She had to do it. Starting for the hand that was around her throat, the flames started extending through the queen’s body, their heat making her free Cordelia and starting walking backwards between screams. Her steps were messy, her hands searching for a way to extinguish the fire. But it was too late, she noticed. Cordelia was more powerful than her now. She looked panicked to her daughter one last time, watching the girl stand in front of her motionless. It was as if life had reduced its speed suddenly, the woman’s eyes asking for forgiveness silently while a scream ripped through her throat, her back hitting the fragile glass of the window and breaking it. She was going to lose.

For once, she was powerless before her daughter, she realized as her body cut the air and fell to the grass, her spine breaking in two on a rock and her skull hitting the floor roughly. The men stopped fighting, the woman’s powers stopping to make effect on the knights that now asked for surrender with fearful and confused looks. Many meters high above, Cordelia observed the peculiar post-war scene, with all the knights standing and walking to surround the queen’s body, the young princess swallowed hard and wiped away her tears, looking at her mother’s corpse with a mixture of sadness and hate.

 “You always said you'd rather burn than boil.”


	11. Chapter 11

“Mom? Don’t leave me, please.” Misty told, grabbing her mother’s hand and letting out a soft sigh, then a whimper. She could barely move, and with each breath she took, her time left on Earth decreased. She knew it, she knew it wouldn’t be long until she saw her mother’s face for the last time. She tightened her grip on the woman’s hand, feeling the queen caress her knuckles softly.

“Of course not, dear.” the queen told, moving in closer to her and pulling her head onto her lap. Gently brushing the blonde, wild hair back behind her ear, the woman studied her daughters features. “You look so much like your father.” she whispered, remembering the golden hair her husband had and that her daughter had inherited. Misty’s eyes fluttered shut, though she opened them slightly seconds later. Her chest moved but only slightly, her heart starting to say goodbye. The queen’s throat released the tears and they slid down her face in the middle of the silence. Everything was still and quiet, as if the world had stopped.

For a moment the woman sat there, watching her tears drip down on Misty’s face. She leaned forward and press her thin lips against her daughter’s temple, and slowly, as if not to wake her, Innocence laid her head back on the ground and released her hand. Misty drew her last breath in the same arms that held her once, eighteen years before, when the only sound that came from her mouth was a loud cry, begging for her mother.

·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·'·.·

The castle was empty. The walls were slowly turning brighter, though the sky and its clouds were darker than ever. There was a ghostly striding through the corridors, the whole place was eerily still, as if all its remaining life was concentrated in the throne room, where the dead and the mourners were crammed. She walked next to a pair of soldiers that carried a body in from the grounds. Cordelia glanced down and felt another dull blow to her stomach. Nan, one of the servant girls that inhabited the castle and was the daughter of the cook, was covered in blood, having been stabbed with a sword. She was too young to die, an innocent soul. Cordelia took just one glance at the entrance of the throne room. People were moving around, trying to comfort each other, drinking, kneeling beside the dead. A soldier saw her and walked towards her. “Princess Cordelia, your mother i—”

“Is dead, I know.” she told, giving the man a nod. “Gather everyone in the throne room, heal the wounded. Make some of your men start digging holes in the hill to bury the dead ones. Where is my mother’s second in command, Sir Foxx?” the soldier turned and pointed to a spot of the throne room, in a farther corner. Hank was lying on the cold stone, covered with a blanket. Cordelia walked towards him in silence, receiving different stares from the people gathered in the room, some of hate, some of curiosity, some of happiness when seeing her alive. Without saying much of a word, and before the man had time to react, Cordelia took the dagger he carried in his belt and stabbed him on his now exposed chest. People gasped, and a few of the knights quickly drew their swords.

“Wait. He was a traitor.” she told, retiring the dagger from his chest and making the blood spill, then standing up. She looked around, all eyes on her. “This man, along with my mother, had been plotting against me my whole life. A prophecy made eighteen years ago was hidden from me, making me trust my mother blindly when in fact she was just waiting for today to kill me. But now I see things clear, and the queen you all knew, the devil that threatened this land, is now dead. I am the reigning queen now, and I will bring light to these lands. Now, take care of the wounded, mourn the dead ones, and be satisfied that this war has not crossed the castle’s walls. Who knows how many more people would be lying here dead then.”

She stood up, looking defiantly to the persons that were sitting around the room. No one dared to move, no one seemed to breathe in that moment. Cordelia slowly started making her way back to the entrance of the room, the blood that pooled on the floor the same color than the stains of her bright dress. She finally moved down the steps and out to the barn, taking two horses and guiding them inside of the woods. When she arrived to her destination, the spot where the queen and the princess were hidden, Cordelia was breathless. She had ended up riding one of the stallions while holding the other’s reins, knowing that she could not waste a second— only to become aware that it was already too late.

Cordelia found it impossible to stop looking at Misty, now smaller than ever, so vulnerable in death. Taking few steps closer, she noticed the flowers that surrounded the girl, wildflowers of many colors, from white and beige to violet and red. The queen kneeled next to her, cleaning her daughter’s legs with the sleeves of her dress before putting more flowers around her. She quickly noticed the older princess approaching and looked at her, the woman’s sad green eyes full of tears that fell silently down her cheek. None of them did speak, Cordelia not wanting to interrupt the ritual the woman was performing. Soon the queen started braiding flowers, crafting an impromptu crown of orange flowers. Cordelia observed in silence, still standing next to the horses. She tied the ropes to a tree branch and then approached Misty’s lifeless body. She seemed just to be sleeping in that small meadow, but Cordelia _knew._

“Misty…” she said in no more than a whisper, feeling the realization sink in. Misty was dead. Her lifeless body was being ornamented as a way to say goodbye, by her own mother. A mother that had lost the light of her life, her precious daughter. And the princess could feel the strength that she had showed before disappear almost immediately, her legs feeling so weak that soon she fell on the floor, kneeling in front of her lover’s body. “Misty, no, you can’t leave me…”

“She’s gone, princess Cordelia.” the woman told, watching the girl start to cry over the other’s death. She knew that they had spent the night together, the knights had returned without the southern princess when they had gone to her chamber to capture her, and it was written in the stars after all. She had always known that they were each other’s true love, even when they still hadn’t met the other “We’ve lost the battle.”

“No. My mother is dead, and Misty… I’ll bring her back.” the girl told, nodding. She refused to believe that Misty was gone, she refused to admit that she had been the cause of so many deaths in vain. She refused to let Misty be just another body when the guards counted them. Without knowing what she was doing, just following her instinct, Cordelia leaned forward and hovered her lips over Misty’s parted ones, breathing life inside of her. The queen, still sitting next to them, looked with amazement how the life energy was exchanged between the princesses. Cordelia pulled back, staring at the other with curious eyes. A few seconds passed, Cordelia’s hope renewed as she noticed the loss of energy she felt in her body. _If I lose energy, it’s because I’ve given it to her, right?_ she questioned mentally, waiting for Misty to wake up. More seconds passed, and Misty still did not move.

A whole minute. The sun shone bright in the sky, the faint sound of people running up and down in the distance, the birds sung up in the surrounding trees. Two minutes. The sun disappeared behind a grey clouds layer, the castle’s doors were closed as everyone waited for their new queen, the birds flew to their nests. Three minutes. The rain started falling, breaking the sudden silence that had fallen on the woods.  Misty’s skin was cold as ice, her color was extremely pale. Her mother silently cried, the last breeze of hope the northern princess had brought with her disappearing quickly. The queen stood up, swallowing hard and tilting her head backwards to feel the rain wash the tears away from her face.

Misty was gone, and she would never come back.

“Let’s go to the castle, princess Cordelia. Your people is waiting for their queen.” she heard Queen Innocence say. At first she did not move, staring at Misty’s lifeless blue eyes. Slowly she moved her hand to close them, letting out a sigh and finally leaning forward to kiss her for one last time before standing up and walking next to the queen. “She would have been happy to be your wife and queen, Cordelia.”

“What’s the matter of having a kingdom if there is no one to rule it with?” the girl asked, taking the reins of her horse and letting out a sigh. She would not dare to look how the rain washed the blood away from her lover’s body, how the girl’s dress dampened quickly and got glued to her body, how the flowers place around them moved with the minuscule rivers the rain was creating around her. Both women mounted their horses, starting to ride them at a slow pace in complete silence. It was then when Cordelia heard _her_.

“Mom?” a soft whisper said behind them, so faint that they barely heard it. “Delia?” the same voice whispered, louder than before but still too soft. Cordelia stopped her horse, her eyes widening in realization. She turned her face, noticing how Misty’s head was tilted to the side and she looked at them with her usual dreamy look. The princess quickly dismounted her stallion under the confused look of the queen. Cordelia ran. She ran through the few trees that separated them from Misty, feeling their branches rip her dress but not caring at all.

“Misty!” she screamed, shedding tears of happiness as she kneeled next to the other and smiled vividly. “Misty, you’re alive. My princess, I can’t believe it. It worked, Misty, it worked!” she told, ignoring the other’s startled expression before leaning forward and giving her the first kiss of her new life. “I love you. I love you so much, my princess. I can’t believe I lost you.” Misty smiled weakly, letting out a sigh as a tear ran down her skin.

“Please don’t leave me here. It was awful, there was darkness everywhere. I was alone, Delia. You were not there. Please, don’t leave me here.” she begged, starting to cry. She looked like a scared child, like a little girl that had found herself lost in the woods. Soon her cries were sobs, and Cordelia pulled her into a tight embrace. “It’s cold in here, and the gators might eat me. Please, Delia. I’m scared. Don’t leave me again.”

Cordelia smiled. Maybe miracles were possible, maybe it was true that after a storm comes a calm. _Maybe life is worth living, and freedom is not just a dream._ She leaned forward and kissed Misty in a sweet, gentle, meaningful kiss. “I’ll never leave you.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”


End file.
